How to Share Passwords Securely Using AirDrop in iOS 12

The upcoming iOS 12 update for the iPhone and iPad comes with a new password management system that allows you to securely manage your many hard-to-memorize passwords.

It also comes with a feature that allows you to safely share those unwieldy passwords directly to others via AirDrop as long as they have iOS 12 or macOS Mojave devices.

Here’s how it works.

How to Share Passwords Using AirDrop

1. Make sure that your Apple device has downloaded the iOS 12 update.
2. Open the Settings app.
3. Go to Passwords & Accounts
4. Then tap on Website & App Passwords.
5. At this point you will be prompted to enter your iPhone password or authenticate with Touch ID or Face ID to view all the passwords you’ve saved. (Note: A simpler way to get here is to call up Siri and ask it to show you all of your saved passwords, at which point Siri will have you authenticate your identity.)
6. Once you’ve accessed the list, you simply need to choose an account password (e.g. for your Twitter account).
7. Tap and Hold on your password. Select the AirDrop option at the right.

   Images via Allthings.how

8. The new password management API will give you the option to AirDrop selected passwords to other compatible devices. The user on the receiving device will also be required to authenticate in order to receive or save a password.
9. Once the receiver accepts the transfer, the password will then go straight to the password list on the receiving device.
10. If there’s already a password saved for a certain website or app, the receiver will be given the option of updating the entry with the newly sent password.

The AirDrop feature is also compatible with third-party password apps like 1Password, LastPass, and Safari. Apple has also built a Password Autofill Extension to allow these apps to automatically enter saved passwords for your various accounts.

iOS 12 is currently available as a developer beta with a final version expected to drop later this year.