So, you’re rocking an iPhone but prefer Google’s password manager? Maybe you switched over from Android or just prefer Chrome’s system. Whatever the reason, it can be a pain not having your passwords available in all your apps. And let’s be real, importing from Google to Apple’s Keychain directly on an iPhone? Not an option. That’s a Mac-only thing, and what if you don’t have one of those? Are you doomed to manually typing in every password?
Thankfully, Apple isn’t leaving you hanging. You can actually get Google Password Manager working with all your iPhone apps pretty easily. Here’s how:
Getting Chrome Set Up
First things first, you’ll need Google Chrome on your iPhone. It’s kind of the key to making this work, since there isn’t a standalone Google Password Manager app for iOS.
Head to the App Store and search for “Google Chrome” using the search icon in the bottom right corner.
Tap ‘Get’ (or the cloud icon if you’ve had it before). You’ll likely need to use Face ID, Touch ID, or your Apple ID password to get it installed.
Once it’s installed, open the Chrome app and sign in with the Google account where all your passwords are saved.
Tap ‘Yes, I’m In’ on the “Turn on Sync” screen to keep your passwords synced to this iPhone.
Now your saved Google passwords are available for use in Chrome on your iPhone.
Note: If you’re using a sync passphrase with your Google account, you’ll need to input that in Chrome’s settings to enable syncing. If you lose this passphrase you’ll lose access to all of your synced data.
Enabling Google Password Manager for Other Apps
Now, let’s make those passwords work outside of Chrome.
Go to the “Settings” app on your iPhone.
Scroll down and tap on ‘Passwords’.
You’ll need to use Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode to get into the Passwords settings.
Tap ‘Password Options’ at the top.
If it’s not already on, enable ‘AutoFill Passwords’. Under ‘Allow Filling From:’, tap ‘Chrome’.
You’ll see a prompt that Auto-fill from Google Password Manager is enabled, so tap “OK” to close it.
Now, both iCloud Keychain and Chrome are set to autofill. If you just want Google, tap ‘iCloud Passwords & Keychain’ to deselect it.
How to Use Google Passwords
Now that everything’s configured, here’s how to use Google passwords.
Go to a login page in an app or on a website in Safari.
Tap the ‘Username’ or ‘Password’ field to bring up the keyboard. Unlike iCloud passwords, Chrome passwords won’t appear automatically. You’ll need to select them manually. Look for the ‘Key’ icon on the keyboard, usually top-right, and tap it.
Use Face/Touch ID or your device passcode to see your passwords. The saved password for the site/app should be at the top. Tap it to fill it in.
If you don’t see a suggestion for the site/app, use the search bar to manually find and select it.
The username and password will pop into their respective fields, and you can sign in.
Password managers are really helpful for getting into apps and websites, and not having to manually enter them is great. This method will help you use Google Password manager on your iPhone.