Apple Passwords app: great for Apple fans, but what about everyone else?

Remember those struggle days of remembering tons of passwords? Password managers were a lifesaver, letting us store logins securely, dream up crazy strong passwords, and hop between accounts on all our devices. Basically, they became a must-have app. This week, Apple announced its own Passwords app, built right into iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Vision Pro. So, with Apple offering a free, built-in option, are those separate password manager apps toast?

The folks behind the password manager apps we already know and love seem to think they’re okay. LastPass CEO, Karim Toubba, says the key for them is working across everything – phones, computers, web browsers, you name it. This cross-platform thing has always been a big advantage for these independent apps.

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Think about it. Google and Microsoft have their own password managers, but they only work within their own stuff. Third-party apps play nice with everyone, and often have more features than the built-in options. Sure, you might have to pay a subscription fee, but having your passwords everywhere is pretty darn convenient.

Apple’s Passwords app seems to be all about Apple products – iPhones, iPads, Macs, that kinda thing. Windows users can get in on the action with an extra app, but that’s about it. Noticeably missing? Android, the most popular phone operating system, and Chrome, the most popular web browser. Apple even has an iCloud Passwords app for Chrome already, so this whole situation is a bit weird.

This lack of playing nice with other platforms throws a wrench into Apple’s Passwords app dream. Every single password manager company – LastPass, Dashlane, Bitwarden, and Proton – stressed how important it is to work across everything. Basically, users want their passwords to just work, no matter what device they’re on.

Security researcher Son Nguyen from Proton Pass even brought up past issues with Apple playing well with others, mentioning wonky features in the Windows version of iCloud and arguments with Google over text messaging stuff. This all adds to the uncertainty of how smooth Apple’s Passwords will be on non-Apple devices.

Then there’s the whole thing about user loyalty. LastPass CEO Toubba says people tend to stick with a password manager they like. Once you experience the magic of not having to remember a million passwords, switching seems like a hassle.

Apple’s Passwords app might be a good fit for folks who are all-in on Apple everything. It’s free and keeps things tidy within their ecosystem. But if you need your passwords to work across the gadget jungle, those third-party password managers are probably still your best bet.