iCloud keychain and passkeys

24 May 2025 09:52:19

Richard I

Can anyone explain why Apple seems to want me to enable iCloud keychain in order to be able to use passkeys?
(-I only want passkeys to be accessible on selected devices, not on all my devices)

I have looked on the Apple help pages but they just concentrate on how to do it -not why
Thanks!

Re: iCloud keychain and passkeys

24 May 2025 10:49:53

Mick Burrell

It's because everyone except you wants it on all devices ;-)

Re: iCloud keychain and passkeys

5 Jun 2025 11:43:25

Tony Still

I only have a subset of my passwords on my phone and would hope to do the same with passkeys. My reason is that the phone goes out and about with me and the keychain is unlocked while I'm using the phone so it's wide open if it should be snatched.

My other excuse is learned paranoia...

Re: iCloud keychain and passkeys

7 Jun 2025 08:24:43

Richard I

I wish to do exactly the same as Tony describes. unfortunately, it seemed to me that if you wanted to use pass keys you had to enable iCloud Keychain and therefore allow all your other passwords to be accessible by your other devices.
I am more than happy to be proved wrong!

Re: iCloud keychain and passkeys

13 Jun 2025 22:36:55

Tony Still

The new '26' OSs apparently offer export/import of individual Passkeys between two devices (including Macs, iPhones and iPads). This looks like a method of moving selected Passkeys between two devices that have separate (ie not iCloud) Keychains.

So that's two of us that can now indulge in our paranoid security practices!

Re: iCloud keychain and passkeys

14 Jun 2025 16:06:21

Richard I

Thanks, Tony! That’s useful Info. Interestingly, soon after I read your reply, I read an article on Apple news which suggested that soon you’ll be able to share passkeys with non-Apple devices too.
Ref: “ With iOS 26, Apple is finally solving one of the biggest passkey headaches”