Apple has just released the first public beta of macOS Sonoma, the next major update for its desktop operating system. One of the new features coming in the final version this fall is the ability to use Apple's password manager with other web browsers, such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Arc.
You may not know that macOS has a built-in password manager where you can securely store all your passwords. It allows you to use a different, complex password for every website and service where you have an account. Thanks to iCloud, your passwords stored in Apple's password manager are synced with your other Apple devices, such as your iPhone or iPad.
But what if you have an iPhone and use a Windows computer? Or what if you prefer to use Google Chrome instead of Safari on your Mac? In 2021, Apple released Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge extensions for Windows called iCloud Passwords. But those extensions don't work on macOS.
Apple's Ricky Mondello pointed out on Twitter that this will change with macOS Sonoma. The company is bringing the iCloud Passwords extension to Google Chrome on the Mac. And with many web browsers based on Chromium, you can expect support for Chrome extensions natively. For instance, Arc and Brave should support the iCloud Passwords extension for macOS Sonoma. Apple is also working on bringing the Microsoft Edge extension to macOS.