Although Apple has offered a password management framework for years, it took that up to a whole new level when it introduced a standalone Passwords app in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia.
The new Passwords app doesn't do anything significantly new, but it does bring the password manager out into the forefront from where it was previously hidden in the Settings app. This has undoubtedly led to folks taking Apple's password manager more seriously.
More significantly, it's also introduced many more iPhone users to the idea of using a password manager. These tools have been around for years, but they were either complicated, pricey, or both. Apple's is built into every modern iPhone, iPad, and Mac -- and it's free.
There are still more sophisticated tools like 1Password available for power users, but Apple Passwords does nearly everything most folks need in a simple and elegant way. There's only one big problem with it: cross-platform compatibility.
It may surprise you to learn that Apple's password management tools aren't confined to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple launched a password manager for Windows PCs three years ago, and it's just as compatible with the new Passwords app as it was with the older Settings-based passwords since everything is still stored in the same way under the hood and syncs across devices through iCloud Keychain.
The weakest point in Apple's Password apps isn't operating system support so much as browser support. While Safari is naturally on board, Apple's password extension has suffered a slightly haphazard and confusing rollout among the rest.
Apple released a Chrome extension for Windows in early 2021, even before its password manager came to PC users. That's a bit ironic, considering it took two more years before Chrome gained Apple Passwords support in macOS Sonoma. However, one mainstream browser, Firefox, has been left entirely out of the party, making Apple Passwords a non-starter for its fans.
Thankfully, that changes today with a new iCloud Passwords extension for Firefox:
iCloud Passwords lets you securely fill passwords from iCloud Keychain when signing in to websites using Firefox. Any new passwords you create in Firefox are saved to your iCloud Keychain so that they are also available across your Apple devices. The extension can also generate verification codes, which you can set up by right-clicking on a QR code.
However, it does come with one crucial catch: it's only available for the Mac.
Further, like the Chrome extension, you'll need macOS Sonoma or later. If you're using an older Mac, you'll be stuck with Safari unless you switch to a third-party password manager.
Windows users can still use Apple's iCloud Passwords extension with Chrome or Edge, but there's no word on when Firefox will come into the fold.
Interestingly, this extension may have begun its life as a third-party project. A Github page for iCloud Passwords for Firefox notes that the "listing of this extension was transferred to Apple Inc.," and they are "now the sole owners in charge of maintaining their own official iCloud Passwords extension," although the original repository and code have been left online for "historical reasons."