What is iPhone Keychain. Keychain in iOS

Today, many sites require authorization to enter, so it is quite difficult to remember a variety of logins and passwords. With the release of the iOS 7.0.3 update, Apple suggested using cloud service iCloud, which can store account names, passwords, and credit card numbers.

The iCloud Keychain feature can store your usernames and passwords for websites on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Mac, protecting them with strong AES 256-bit encryption. At the same time, the data is transparently synchronized between all gadgets, so there is no need to remember them now.

How to set up Keychain Access in iOS 7:

Step 1 A: By default, iCloud Keychain is disabled, so before you can set up password sync, you need to enable it in iOS 7 settings. Go to Settings –> iCloud and scroll down to the Keychain section.

Step 2: Slide the iCloud Keychain toggle to On. Your iPhone or iPad will prompt you to use your iOS passcode as your security code. In this case, you can set up iCloud Keychain on all your devices using secret code from the main gadget. Click Use password or Create another code.

Step 3: Enter the security code for iCloud.

Step 4: At this step, you need to register a backup phone number. You can use your number, or any number you trust, to receive SMS messages when you restore access to iCloud Keychain.

Step 5: Enter your password account to complete iCloud settings Keychain.

Step 6: Now, when you specify an account on sites, Safari will prompt you to save the password in the iDevice memory and in the iCloud keychain. At the same time, the cloud service will keep the information up to date on each of the devices. At the right time, passwords will be entered automatically.

You can view the data saved in iCloud Keychain in Settings –> Safari –> Passwords and AutoFill –> Saved passwords.

iCloud Keychain is a technology for storing and synchronizing confidential data on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Mac computers. The following items fall into the category of stored information: logins and passwords for news and entertainment resources, social networks; added credit cards for payment, keys for authorization in secure Wi-Fi points.

Recently, Apple developers have been transferring between different devices and data from third-party applications - Calendars, Contacts, Mail and iMassage messages. The main idea of ​​iCloud Keychain is to provide users with the services of a secure (256-bit AES encryption) password manager that works with any data and allows you not to remember information, but to agree to automatically fill in available text forms for authorization or payment.

How to set up and use?

The technology - iCloud Keychain - is available at operating system iOS? starting from version 7.0.3 and on MacOS with Mavericks 10.9, and is open in almost all regions of the world (the developers write more about restrictions in special section on the Apple website). If the conditions converge, it remains to go through the initial settings:

1. On iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, open "Settings" and go to edit the current iCloud profile;
2. At the bottom of the available menu, find the "Keychain Access" item, and then move the slider to the active position;
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4. On Mac computers, the procedure is even simpler - go to " System settings iCloud" and check the box next to the item of the same name;
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6. If the system asks you to log in, you will have to enter data from your current Apple ID account;
8. If two-factor authorization is active in the profile, then you will have to confirm the actions on the adjacent gadget added to the profile (you must enter 6- digit code and allow work on iCloud settings).

If there were no problems with the repetition of the described actions, and there was a desire to try out the data storage and synchronization system, then it remains to figure out the details.

1. Look in "Settings", go down the menu to the item "Passwords and accounts";
2. The section that opens will allow you to view the current accounts added to the system (iCloud, perhaps Gmail, or some domestic-made email). A new menu will appear at the top - “Passwords for sites and programs”. This is where the data for quick authorization used in the iCloud Password Linking technology is recorded;
3. Therefore, if there is a desire to try out the system, you need to get inside, and then click on the plus sign at the top of the menu. After that, a small form will be displayed on the screen for further interaction. It is important to enter the website address (it will main page, it is not necessary to go deep and add a link to the section with personal account, the system will figure it out without too much help), and then the login and password;
4. After saving, the data will be displayed in the "Passwords for sites and programs" menu, and will become active for use during authorization. How? Elementary! You need to go to the page of the site added to the bundle and access the text form for entering. Then it remains to click on the free space for input, and a touch keyboard will appear on the screen, and with it a special item called "Use ...". If you wish, you can directly access the button depicting the key, if there are several login data, and you need to select a specific option;
5. Payment works in the same way - data from already used cards is attached automatically and allows you to make secure payments at any time.

And yet - the function works quietly with everyone third party applications. Same browser from Google Chrome, calls the "Keychain" and calmly takes the necessary data. Similarly, it is easy to log into App Store, iTunes, and iCloud services.

Questions and answers

How to speed up the data entry process?

Check the box in "Settings" in the "Passwords and accounts" section opposite the "Autofill" item. If the system meets an already familiar resource, it will immediately try to fill in the “login and password” field. On smartphones starting with version 5S, you will have to put your finger on the scanner Fingerprint Touch ID, up to 5S - enter the verification code. On the iPhone X, everything works instantly - the face is scanned automatically.

Is Keychain Secure?

As Apple developers suggest, breaking through 256-bit encryption is almost impossible, because encryption data is generated for each device separately, in accordance with the selected settings and entered passwords. You can read more about security protocols at.

If I disable iCloud Keychain, what happens?

The system will offer two options - delete the saved data or archive it for further use if the technology is needed again.

How do I set up automatic filling of credit card information in Safari?

The procedure is elementary:

28.04.2018

Marked for users of Apple technology the emergence of another excellent service within iCloud - password synchronization using iCloud Keychain. Apple has done its best to make it easy to set up and use this feature, but our readers still have a lot of questions about this new feature.

What can iCloud Keychain do?

iCloud Keychain offers:

That's why secure access storage is extremely important, and two-step verification is precisely designed for it, so it's very important that we activate it as soon as possible. After the data is written, click "Login". In the left menu, click "Password" and "Security".

If we don't have them, we can skip this step. After these initial checks, we should start with the configuration. We enter our mobile phone by clicking "Add phone number". A notification will appear on the screen of the device with a verification code that we must enter on the Internet to verify it. In the second step, we will show our recovery key. This key is to write it down in a safe place and never lose it. In case we have a problem with the two-step verification, it is very necessary for him to gain access to our account again.

• synchronization of logins, passwords and data from Safari forms
• synchronization of credit card data
• Wi-Fi password synchronization

Synchronization works on Macs with OS X 10.9, iPhone, iPod touch and iPad with iOS 7.0.3. When you activate a keychain in iCloud, a single cloud storage is created in which ALL your passwords are collected. All of them are simultaneously available from all your devices connected to the same iCloud account.

At this point, you will ask us to enter our recovery key. This step serves to check if the key is entered correctly and issues due to spelling issues. If we agree, we must check the box to understand these terms and click the Activate two-step verification button. To do this, we must follow the following steps.

We click on the "Password" and "Security" option in the menu on the left, and then on the "Deactivate verification" in two steps option, which is located in the lower right corner. You will ask us to submit three security questions, our date of birth, and an alternative recovery email. This will be the data needed to recover the password if we forget it or are blocked for any reason.

Please note - on Macs, iCloud Keychain only works with Safari! For users of Chrome, Firefox or Opera, the new Apple feature will be of little use, because there are no plug-ins that add support for these browsers and will not be. There are no alternatives to Safari on iOS in this case either.

Setting up iCloud Keychain for the first time on Mac

Let's say right away - for residents of Ukraine, Belarus and other CIS countries not listed in this list, activating Keychain Access from a Mac is the only way to properly set up this feature.

A pop-up window will ask if we don't need to disable 2-Step Verification. If we really click the Deactivate button. Our recommendation is that we continue active two-step verification on our devices whenever possible.

This means that anyone who takes over the account or corrects it to change the password can access your personal information. Otherwise, we recommend that you change it to enable 2-Step Verification as soon as possible.

Enter your username and password. If you have any security questions, please answer them. After successfully logging in, go to the "Password and Security" section in the left pane. The first option would be two-step authentication. Click "Start" to begin setup.

Open your Mac settings, go to the iCloud remote, turn on the "Keychain Access" checkbox:

The Mac will prompt you to turn on the password request from the user account immediately after waking up from sleep mode or unlocking the screen - of course, for additional security. This suggestion can be ignored.

You will then be asked to create a Keychain Access PIN. By default, this is a four-digit number that you need to remember and enter each time you connect a new device to your Keychain:

You will now see an explanation of what two-step verification is. In the next window, you will see additional information explaining what validation is; please note that if you forget your password, the process of recovering it will be long and tedious.

On the side of each device, you will see a "Check" legend. Choose the one you want to check. After a few seconds, you must enter a 4-digit code on your mobile phone. Enter the code on your computer. On the website, you will see that your device is now verified. You can repeat the process with all the devices you need.

But this is not necessary either. Pay attention to the "Advanced" button. It opens several options regarding the PIN code:

The first will allow paranoids to set a code of any length using any characters, not just numbers. The second will generate the code automatically. The third generally allows you to abandon the security code. But how will the confirmation of new devices take place in this case? Very simple - with the help of your other devices.

You will now be provided with a recovery code, which is required to print and store in a safe place. This code will ask you if you forgot your password or when you want to check out a new computer, so it's very important that you save this code very well.

When you have copied this number, you must enter it to confirm that it is the same. A window will appear indicating that the process was successful. The benefit is that you no longer have to enter your regular passwords every time you restore your system or network settings. Swipe across them to get the Activate button and slide the button to the right.

Once the PIN is created or cancelled, the setup is complete.

The initial setup of Keychain Access on iOS goes in a similar way - go to the "Settings-iCloud" menu and turn on the "Keychain Access" checkbox, and then create a PIN. The problem is that you will be forced to enter a mobile phone number, and only Russia is supported from the CIS countries.

What credit card information is stored in iCloud Keychain?

So, enter your password or create one if applicable. Is this the first time you are doing this setup on one of your devices? Then create a security code. Security requires this because this way you will control which devices will have access to your synced data. You must enter your code twice. If you choose to create a different password, do so using a combination of numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters.

Do not create easily accessible codes or passwords. Choose the option that suits you, tap it, and follow the instructions. Enter your phone number or any other number you have access to to verify your identity. Note: Write down your codes and passwords in a safe place where you have easy access in case you forget. Without your codes and passwords, you will be completely blocked!

Now let's talk about connecting new devices to iCloud Keychain.

Connecting a new iOS device to iCloud Keychain

Go to the "Settings-iCloud" menu already mentioned above and select the "Keychain Access" item:

Agree to enable the feature:

If you choose not to generate a security code, you must approve the configuration on each new device. Warning. This will delete all your data. To configure, activate the "Contacts" and "Names and passwords" buttons. Activate this last button and you will be redirected to an interface where you can activate or not block by code. Scroll through the menu and activate the buttons you need.

But as soon as you share your account with another person or change your smartphone regularly, the limit of ten registered devices is quickly reached and you have to do your homework to remove the old ones. Scroll down to the My Devices group to view a list of authorized devices.

You will definitely need to enter the password for your iCloud account:

After that, the Keychain Access will go into activation pending mode.

As we said, when adding a new device to your iCloud Keychain, you have two alternatives:

Click "Deauthorization" to delete your old smartphone, tablet or computer. Confirm with "Deauthorization". The list is reduced to the actual devices you use, so you can add new phones, tablets, or other devices.

Unable to remove device?

Click the cross line to deauthorize the device. The curious limit that a smartphone lover can block is reset. On the device before it is lost. If you've set up family sharing, you can also remove devices from your family members. This ensures that you are the only person who can access your account, even if someone knows your password. If you want to connect to a new device for the first time, you must provide two pieces of information: your password and a six-digit verification code that automatically appears on your trusted devices.

• enter PIN code
• confirm connection from another device

On an iOS device, you will see a "Verify with code" button, by clicking on which you can enter a PIN and activate the feature immediately:

The fallback is confirmation from another device. As soon as you try to turn on iCloud Keychain on one of your devices, all other gadgets connected to the same iCloud account and the same Keychain will receive notifications:

By entering this code, you confirm that the new device is secure. The verification code is only requested once for each new device, unless you completely disconnect from it, delete its data, or change your password for security reasons. If you access your account in a browser, you can verify your account so you don't have to enter a code every time you connect.

Trusted phone numbers

It allows you to receive a verification code, which can then be used to verify your identity when you access your account using a new device or browser. When activating two-factor authentication, you must provide at least one trusted number.

But it's not just a notification. By clicking on the banner, you will be taken to iCloud settings, where you will be prompted to enter your account password as confirmation of consent to add a new device to your Keychain. After entering the password on any of your other devices, the new gadget is considered permanently connected, password syncing via iCloud Keychain will begin.

Enable two-factor authentication in settings

However, we advise you to provide other easily accessible rooms. They will allow you to log into your account even if you are temporarily unable to access your own devices.

Enter and verify your secure phone number

Does iCloud Keychain work with third party apps?

Enter the verification code to verify your phone number and turn on two-factor authentication. In this case, this feature is already enabled. If you are already using two-step verification and want to choose a more secure . If your account cannot benefit from two factor IDs, you can still use the account to protect your information.

Connecting a new Mac to iCloud Keychain

The process is identical to that described in the previous chapter of the review. You go to OS X settings, iCloud Remote, and turn on Keychain Access. Enter your iCloud account password.

Information to Consider When Using Two-Factor Authentication

Once this feature is enabled, only those with the password, your devices, or trusted numbers can access your account. To keep your account as secure as possible and not lose access, follow these steps .

Updating the list of trusted numbers

• Protect all your devices with a passcode.
• Update your trust numbers.
• Store trusted devices in a safe place.

Entering the PIN-code does not need special explanations:

If you don't want to enter a PIN, the Mac will remain in activation pending mode:

It's pretty hard to miss the new device verification notification - both in OS X and iOS it will hang in plain sight:

You can change your trusted numbers by following these steps. In the Security section, click Edit. . To add a number, click Add Trust Number and then enter the number. To remove a trusted number, click the icon next to it.

Trusted device management

Create application passwords

Apple devices are known to allow two-step authorization. This security method performs at least two authentication checks - a password and a trusted device - to access an account.

Do I still need to remember security issues?

With two-factor authentication, there is no need to select or remember security issues. Your identity is verified solely by your password and verification codes sent to your trusted devices and phone numbers. When you turn on two-factor authentication, we store your old security questions for two weeks in our files in case you need to set up your account with the previous security settings. They are removed after two weeks.

Two-step, or as it is also called, two-factor authentication (2FA) provides reliable data protection, since its passage requires not only knowledge of the password, but also physical access to one of the keys, in our case it is an iPhone or iPad.

Needless to say, we highly recommend using it on any account where possible. Moreover, if the service does not support 2FA, you should think twice before using it if the security of your data is important to you.

If two-step verification is enabled on your Apple ID (which, in a good way, you should do), then you most likely met with a window that asks you to confirm that you are the owner of this account. This screen should list some of your Apple devices and at least one verified phone number. These devices act as access keys.

Have you ever wondered what requirements the devices on the list should meet? Or maybe it was necessary to add or remove a device from this list? In this tutorial, we will walk you through managing trusted devices for 2FA.

How to add a trusted device

To add a device as one of your authentication keys, you just need to turn on Find My iPhone on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. As soon as you enable the feature, the device will automatically be added to the trusted list. After that, you will need to confirm adding this device.

Step 1: Sign in to iCloud and turn on Find My iPhone on the device you want to trust in Settings > iCloud.

Step 2: In Safari, sign in with My Apple ID, go to Password & Security >

Step 4: This device will receive a four-digit verification code.

Enter this code in the field that appears in Safari and click Verify device.

Now you can make sure that the device is verified as trusted. Now, whenever you need to use two-step authentication to log into your Apple ID, you can use this device as a key.

How to remove a trusted device

Not surprisingly, devices can also be removed from the trusted list. When you sign out of iCloud or turn off Find My iPhone, your device is no longer trusted, but it still appears in the list as possibly trusted.

Step 1: Turn off Find My iPhone.

Step 2: In Safari, sign in with My Apple ID, go to Password & Security > Add or Remove Trusted Device.

Confirm deletion.

Here, in general, that's all. In this simple way, trusted devices are added and removed for two-step authentication. You will need to work with this list often, especially if you like to constantly log out of your accounts and use different devices.

Today I decided to make a review article about a bunch of keys, since the last time our site mentioned it was back in 2013. It was at that moment that she appeared in iOS 7. But now almost 4 years have passed and we are waiting for iOS 11, so it's time to make an up-to-date instruction on Keychain Access with questions and answers.

What is iCloud Keychain?

iCloud Keychain is a functionality that allows you to securely store secret data (logins, passwords, credit card numbers, etc.) in the system and in the cloud.

The data in the keychain is encrypted with powerful 256-bit AES encryption. Thanks to the use of iCloud technology, data is kept up to date on different devices.

Keychain helps not only to store data, but also to enter this data for the user.

And now simple example which shows Keychain operation even for non-technically savvy users.

The user visits a site (for example, Odnoklassniki) in Safari on the iPhone. He has a username and password. He enters them manually. The system offers to save the data in the Keychain. If the user agrees, then the data gets into a special file. The user decides to go to Odnoklassniki on the iPad. It opens the site in Safari. iOS system takes data from the same special file and fill in the username and password fields. The user only needs to click on the Login button. Thus, the user does not need not only to enter a password, but also to remember it. The Keychain does it for him.

How to set up Keychain Access?

After you update iOS to the most current version, a special assistant will ask you to set up Keychain Access. Also, setting is possible if you just bought a new device and are trying to activate it under your (possibly new) account.

Settings->YOUR NAME (at the very top) ->iCloud->Keychain Access.

Turn on the "iCloud Keychain Access" slider. Follow the system prompts. If this is your first device under the data Apple account ID, Keychain Access will simply turn on. If the device is not the first, then you need to confirm the inclusion.

Typically, you need to enter iCloud security code. After that, you need to enter a special code that comes to your other device that is tied to your Apple ID (if it's an iPhone, then SMS comes to the number linked to your account).

At the same time, a special message appears on the other device that asks you to enter your Apple ID password.

Contact details and My details- these two items allow you to specify a contact from the settings that will be used to fill out various forms. That is, you can add yourself to the application Contacts, Enter your e-mail, phone number and other information there. In the future, if a site asks for an email, autocomplete will do it for you.

Names and passwords– it’s not clear how it works, but judging by the description, it allows you to view and delete passwords in the “Accounts and passwords” settings (more on that below). The trick is that turning it on and off, I did not notice any difference in functionality.

Credit cards– enable saving driven cards on sites. In this case, the system will still ask whether to save the card to the Keychain or not.

Saved credit cards(you can only log in with a password, or via Touch ID) - here you can view or add cards that are used when paying for purchases on the Internet.

What is an iCloud Security Code?

The first time you set up your keychain, the system asks you to create an iCloud Security Code (usually a 4-6 digit code). If you skip this step (which is possible), then the keychain will be stored locally on your device. There is no talk of any synchronization with other devices.

The iCloud security code is best remembered (or written down in a safe place). It will allow you to approve Keychain Access on other devices. An iCloud security code can help you even if you lose all the devices on which you have set up Keychain Access.

If you enter the wrong iCloud security code multiple times in a row, Keychain Access will be deactivated. It will be possible to restore access only with the help of Apple technical support, but they do not have access to the code, so technical support can do the best they can: give you a chance for a few more attempts. If they all fail, then Keychain Access will be removed from iCloud.

Using iCloud in practice

We go to the site where we want to register. Go to the registration section. Enter login and password. The system itself will offer to Save the password in the Keychain.

Then you can go to the site and instead of entering data, click on the “Autofill password” link.

Or the system itself fills in the login and password. In any case, the data in the form will be on a yellow background:

If there are several passwords / logins on the site, then you can click on the “Passwords” link above the keyboard. Keychain will prompt you to select the desired login. You can also delete the saved password here.

How to view logins and passwords in Keychain Access

On iOS and Mac OS, you can view logins and passwords in Keychain Access.

V iOS this is done in Settings->Accounts and passwords->Passwords for programs and sites. You can only sign in with Touch ID or your Apple ID password.

You need to find the desired account and click on it. In the Password field, you can see the password in clear text, and in the Username - the login for the site. Passwords and logins can be changed here.

In Mac OS, viewing the keychain is also not difficult. There is special application"Bunch of keys". We are looking for the desired site in it and we poke the line twice.

Check the box “Show password” and the system will ask for a password from the computer administrator account. We drive in the password and see the desired password.

Each account has unique access settings. As a rule, it is better not to touch these settings:

An experienced user from the screenshot will immediately understand that here you can add an application that can access an object in the Keychain.

Questions and answers about the Keychain

What are the requirements for the Keychain?

Keychain Access is available starting with iOS 7.0.3 and OS X Mavericks 10.9. Some additional requirements to the device Keychain Access does not impose.

Is it safe to store data in Keychain Access?

In theory, this is absolutely safe. For the data is encrypted and inaccessible even to Apple (this statement can only be taken on faith).

What data does Credit Card Keychain store?

Card number, First name Last name and expiration date. CVC code with reverse side Keychain Access does not save cards.

Are there alternatives to the Keychain?

Today, many sites require authorization to enter, so it is quite difficult to remember a variety of logins and passwords. With the release of the iOS 7.0.3 update, Apple offered to use the iCloud cloud service for this, which can store account names, passwords, and credit card numbers.

The iCloud Keychain feature can store your website names and passwords on your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Mac, protecting them with strong AES 256-bit encryption. At the same time, the data is transparently synchronized between all gadgets, so there is no need to remember them now.

How to set up Keychain Access in iOS 7:

Step 1 A: By default, iCloud Keychain is disabled, so before you can set up password sync, you need to enable it in iOS 7 settings. Go to Settings –> iCloud and scroll down to the Keychain section.

Step 2: Slide the iCloud Keychain toggle to On. Your iPhone or iPad will prompt you to use your iOS passcode as your security code. In this case, you can set up iCloud Keychain on all your devices using the passcode from the main gadget. Click Use password or Create another code.

Step 3: Enter the security code for iCloud.

Step 4: At this step, you need to register a backup phone number. You can use your number, or any number you trust, to receive SMS messages when you restore access to iCloud Keychain.

Step 5: Provide your account password to complete the iCloud Keychain setup.

Step 6: Now, when you specify an account on sites, Safari will prompt you to save the password in the iDevice memory and in the iCloud keychain. At the same time, the cloud service will keep the information up to date on each of the devices. At the right time, passwords will be entered automatically.

You can view the data saved in iCloud Keychain in Settings –> Safari –> Passwords and AutoFill –> Saved passwords.