Windows giant Microsoft today released a new feature, dubbed Autofill, that allows you to manage your saved passwords securely across different devices and platforms.
The solution works across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows and Android devices. On the iPhone and iPad, the new feature can be found in Microsoft’s free Authenticator for iOS app.
On the desktop, the same functionality is available to users of Microsoft’s Edge or Google’s Chrome browser via an extension. Microsoft also allows you to import your secrets saved in other password managers to Autofill using a CSV file.
Autofill stores your passwords under your Microsoft account. To get started with autofill on mobile, open the Microsoft Authenticator app, and then sign-in on the Passwords tab with your Microsoft account. If you have passwords saved under your Microsoft account on Microsoft Edge, they will sync to the Authenticator app.
In terms of security, your passwords are protected inside the Authenticator app, which requires strong multi-factor authentication to use in the first place. And when automatically filling passwords on a website or app, you’ll first need to authenticate with biometric or PIN input.
Besides, your passwords are encrypted both on your device as well as on the cloud.
Another iCloud Keychain rival
The solution is similar to Apple’s own iCloud Keychain password feature that keeps your passwords and other secure information updated across your devices. For those unfamiliar with it, Apple’s feature also auto-fills your saved information, including Safari usernames and passwords, credit cards and Wi-Fi passwords on any device that you approve.
You can also import/export your saved passwords, see any breached passwords, as well as view and manage your saved passwords on your Mac in the Keychain Access app.
iCloud Keychain functionality is provided in Apple’s Safari browser. Recently, the company warmed up to the idea of bringing iCloud Keychain to other platforms with the release of the official iCloud Passwords extensions for Google’s Chrome browser. As of iOS 13, Apple permits third-party apps to become the default password manager for Auto-Fill and other features.
Aside from Microsoft, other companies are looking to enter this space. Cloud-storage service provider Dropbox, for instance, has launched a password manager of its own on iOS and macOS.