Apple Passwords Is Now in Firefox (but Not for Windows Users)
Passwords, Apple’s password management app introduced in the latest versions of iOS and macOS, now has an extension for Firefox. If you’re a Firefox user, you can use this browser extension to set up a seamless login experience using the information stored in Apple Passwords. There’s a catch, though: iCloud passwords for Firefox only work on Macs that can run macOS Sonoma or later. If you have an older Mac or Windows device, you won’t be able to use this extension.
Setting and using passwords in Firefox
To use this extension, you don’t have to do much. Just make sure Firefox is installed and add the iCloud Passwords extension to your browser. With this, you can now sign in to websites as usual, but without having to use the Passwords app from the menu bar or the app itself.
Every time you try to log in, a small floating menu appears below the username and password forms where you can simply click on the login item name and log in to your favorite websites. This also works with sites where you’ve enabled two-factor authentication, i.e. where you’re required to enter a one-time password to complete the login process, as long as login codes are saved in Apple Passwords.
It’s nice to see that this extension works seamlessly with Firefox and that you don’t need to configure anything extra for it to work. Moreover, the extension works even if the Passwords application or its equivalent in the menu bar is not running.
iCloud password restrictions for Firefox
As much as I like the way iCloud Passwords for Firefox works when signing in, I’m disappointed in how it handles creating new accounts. When I tried to create a new account on a website, this browser extension offered two options: create a strong password in the Passwords app or open the page in Safari. This makes the process a little more complicated and is what puts people off using password managers. Ideally, Apple will update the extension to allow you to create accounts within Firefox itself.
It should also be noted that while I’ve had good experiences with iCloud passwords for Firefox, others haven’t been too happy. According to user reviews of the Firefox extension , it does not always autofill credentials reliably. It’s a similar story with iCloud Passwords for Chrome , which has a lot of negative reviews.
However, the bigger problem is that Apple limits this Firefox extension on Mac. As someone whose default browser is Firefox on both Windows and Mac, I find this decision disappointing. You can access your iCloud passwords on Windows thanks to the iCloud for Windows app , and I’d be very happy if this extension also supported the app (Chrome and Edge extensions do). For now, only Apple’s most modern Mac users are receiving this treatment.