Can you share keychain passwords with family?

Answered by Robert Flynn

You can share Keychain passwords with family members who use an iPhone, Mac, or iPad. Sharing your Keychain passwords can be useful for accessing shared accounts or sharing Wi-Fi passwords without the need for manual entry. However, there are a few steps you need to follow in order to share your Keychain passwords with your family.

First, make sure that you and your family members are using iCloud Keychain. iCloud Keychain is a feature that securely stores your passwords, credit card information, and other sensitive data across your Apple devices. To enable iCloud Keychain, go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tap on your Apple ID at the top, select iCloud, and then toggle on Keychain.

Once you have iCloud Keychain enabled, you’ll need to make sure that the family members you want to share your Keychain passwords with are listed in your contacts. This is because the sharing process uses AirDrop, which requires the recipients to be in your contacts.

To add family members to your contacts, open the Contacts app on your iPhone, tap on the “+” button to add a new contact, and enter their name, phone number, and email address. Make sure to save the contact.

Now that you have your family members in your contacts, you can proceed to share your Keychain passwords. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, tap on your Apple ID at the top, select iCloud, and then tap on Keychain. On the Keychain screen, you’ll see an option called “Share passwords.” Tap on it.

You’ll be presented with a list of your contacts. Scroll through the list and select the family members you want to share your Keychain passwords with. You can select multiple contacts if necessary. Once you’ve selected the contacts, tap on “Send” to initiate the sharing process.

At this point, your iPhone or iPad will use AirDrop to send a request to each selected family member, asking them to accept the password sharing. They will receive a notification on their device with the option to accept or decline the request. If they accept, they will be able to view and use the passwords stored in your Keychain.

It’s important to note that sharing Keychain passwords with family members means giving them access to sensitive information. Make sure you trust the recipients and that they understand the responsibility that comes with having access to your passwords. It’s also a good idea to communicate with your family members about any changes or updates to shared accounts or passwords to ensure everyone stays up to date.

You can share your Keychain passwords with family members who use an iPhone, Mac, or iPad. By enabling iCloud Keychain, adding family members to your contacts, and using AirDrop to share the passwords, you can easily provide access to shared accounts and Wi-Fi passwords. Just remember to trust the recipients and communicate any changes or updates to ensure a smooth sharing experience.