iCloud Passwords Windows app is finally here

For the longest time, Apple snubbed rival platforms and locked its users into its own walled gardens. Times have changed, however, and Apple was left with no choice but to support its customers that are sometimes forced to use Windows or Android devices every day. It has been slowly expanding the availability of its exclusive apps and features, and the latest to arrive is a more stable and more reliable version of iCloud Passwords that finally lets Mac and iOS users manage their keychains even on Windows.

This is a whole different beast from the iCloud Passwords Chrome extension that was launched and then removed and then relaunched earlier this year. That had a very specific use case of being able to access passwords stored on the user's iCloud account from the Web browser. It did rely on the iCloud for Windows app, but that was pretty much all that it could do.

iCloud for Windows version 12.5 now brings a fuller experience when it comes to managing those passwords. It comes with a separate iCloud Passwords app that you can access just like any regular Windows app and launch from the Start Menu. The features are pretty basic compared to dedicated password managers, but it's still a lot better than having nothing at all for iCloud Passwords.

With iCloud Passwords, you can search, view, add, delete, and update credentials in your iCloud keychain. The updated iCloud for Windows also adds a browser extension compatible with Microsoft Edge. The Chrome extension is, of course, still there.

Syncing passwords between Mac and Windows won't happen by magic, though, and you'll need to set it up in iCloud Settings first. You'll also need to have an Apple account with two-factor authentication enabled first, and at least Windows 10 version 18362.145 and macOS 11 or higher.