"Apple might reveal a new ‘Passwords’ app next week"

Emma Roth, writing at The Verge:

"Apple is planning to introduce a new app called Passwords to help users manage their login information, according to a report from Bloomberg. The company will reportedly introduce the device at its Worldwide Developers Conference event next week.

...

"The new app is expected to make its debut in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15. As noted by Bloomberg, Passwords will be able to generate and store passwords, similar to password managers such as LastPass and 1Password."

I admit I'm torn about this. On one hand, 1password has been a staple of my computing life for more than a decade. On the other, there's no doubt that a first-party app could integrate more seamlessly, and 1password has been focused on corporate users more than individuals like myself for some time now.

There's been quite an anti-1password sentiment online since 1password 8 came out, having dropped a lot of the native Mac core in favor of a more cross-platform Rust-based core. I was one of those who was skeptical of the move, but 1P8 has worked pretty well for me. I also sympathize with how hard it must be to make a type of app that Apple doesn't really make easy; Safari integration in particular has to be hard for an app like 1password.

I also like the fact that not all my eggs are in the Apple basket, and losing my Apple account won't also lose all of the things in 1password too. As I write this, I'm talking myself into sticking with 1password, but would love smoother integration. Like when Safari autofills confirmation codes from Messages...so nice! But I don't trust Apple to not introduce a Passwords app and then leave it neglected for years. I hope as Apple introduces its own app, it also extends integration APIs, so that 1password can fight on a level playing field.

Apple might reveal a new “Passwords” app next week

A standalone password manager from Apple?