I Refused to Use Passkeys Until Apple Added This Feature to Its Passwords App

I'm strongly in favor of using password managers to store your credentials, but, so far, I've resisted the prompts that ask me to switch to passkeys—even though passkeys are better than passwords in just about every way. You don't need to remember or store a long string of random characters if you use passkeys, because they don't actually use a password at all. Instead, you use your device's authentication method, such as a face scan, a device passcode, or fingerprint unlock, to log in to your accounts. Passkeys are also more resistant to phishing attacks because your password manager won't let you use a passkey to log in to dummy websites created by scammers.

Despite these benefits, the big dealbreaker for me was that you could not move your passkeys from one app to another. If you want to change password managers, you can easily move your passwords from one to the other, but the same wasn't true for passkeys—at least, until now. The FIDO Alliance, an industry body focused on secure authentication, created a set of specifications that let you move your passkeys from one app to another, reducing this friction. As it happens, Apple was among the first to ship this feature with the release of iOS 26 late last year.

An import/export option only truly works when all the big players support it, and in recent months, most of the big password management apps have integrated this feature. I tested it by moving my passkeys from Apple Passwords to 1Password, and the process worked well enough to convince me to finally embrace passkeys. If I choose to replace my password manager tomorrow, I won't have to worry about being locked in thanks to my passkeys. Here's how it works with Apple Passwords.

How to export passkeys from Apple Passwords

Credit: Pranay Parab

To start, install and set up the new password manager on the same Apple device as the one with your Passwords app containing your passkeys. Then, open Passwords, navigate to the home screen, tap the three dots in the top-right corner, and select Export Data to Another App. Manually select all the login items that have a passkey, or select all of your passwords if you wish to. Tap Continue when you're done, and you'll reach the "Export Passwords" page. Select Continue on this page, too. You'll see a list of password management apps that support this feature, and you can select the one you want to export to. I chose 1Password, and my passkeys followed suit. In Passwords for Mac, you can find this feature under File > Export Selected Items to App.

How to import passkeys into Apple Passwords

Credit: Pranay Parab

If you want to move your passkeys from other password management apps, you'll have to open those apps and use their export feature. This feature is often buried deep in settings pages, so you should check the user manuals or guides on your password manager's site to confirm how this is done. Some apps don't allow you to export select passkeys, and may instead force you to export all of your data from one app to another. Once you find the export feature in your password manager app, you'll come across the same "Export Passwords" page as Apple Passwords. Hit Continue, and the app will show you a list of password managers. Pick Passwords, then choose Continue once again. In Passwords for Mac, you can find this feature under File > Import Passwords from File.

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