Latest macOS Sonoma beta finally makes iCloud Keychain work with third-party browsers

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple's latest macOS Sonoma beta has fixed an issue that has plagued users of third-party web browsers for years. With that beta installed, they can finally access their usernames and passwords from within Chrome, Edge, and similar non-Apple browsers.

The move makes iCloud Keychain a much more viable option for those who use third-party web browsers but also want to be able to save their passwords in a secure place and then easily access them in the future.

However, as popular as this new feature will be, it isn't without its problems — including the fact that you'll need to install a web browser extension to make it work at all.

A step in the right direction

As mentioned, this does require that the iCloud Passwords extension be installed and there is still no proper iCloud Keychain app on either the iPhone or the Mac. That alone is enough to stop some people from switching from other password managers like 1Password and LastPass, and it's something we hope Apple addresses in the future.

‼️🔑 macOS Sonoma brings Apple’s password manager to Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and other browsers using their extensions stores with the “iCloud Passwords” browser extension.If you’re running the macOS Sonoma public or developer beta, you can try it right now! [1/n] pic.twitter.com/stkbQqFtfxJuly 12, 2023

Once users install the latest macOS Sonoma beta as well as this extension, they'll be able to not only access their passwords but also save new ones as well.

The new iCloud Passwords extension can be downloaded for free for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge already.

As for macOS Sonoma itself, that isn't expected to be ready for the world to download until this fall, although the first public beta is already available. We'd recommend against installing it on any mission-critical Mac, though.

The macOS Sonoma update will be available on most modern Macs including the brand-new 15-inch MacBook Air — a machine that is quite possibly the best Mac for most people right now. Don't want something quite so big? The 13-inch model is identical in most ways and uses the same M2 chip for speedy performance and cool running.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.