Where are Passkeys Stored on iPhone?

Passkeys on iPhone can be stored in the iCloud Keychain or third-party password managers, depending on your iOS version. iOS 16 and later versions introduced support for iCloud Keychain, allowing passkeys to be securely synced across devices. With iOS 17 and later, third-party password managers also gained the ability to store and manage passkeys. In iOS 15, passkeys were device-bound and couldn't be synced or stored in the cloud. In earlier iOS versions, you couldn't even create a passkey.

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Passkeys are a modern and secure way to authenticate users without relying on traditional passwords. On an iPhone, the way these passkeys are stored has evolved with each new iOS update:

• iOS 17 and Later: With the introduction of iOS 17, Apple expanded the passkey storage options beyond just the iCloud Keychain. Users can now choose to store their passkeys in third-party password managers, which can offer additional features like cross-platform access. This flexibility enhances the usability of passkeys across different ecosystems and platforms.

• iOS 16: Before iOS 17, iPhones running iOS 16 supported passkey storage exclusively through iCloud Keychain. This allowed users to securely sync their passkeys across all their Apple devices using end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only the user could access their passkeys. This feature made it easy for users to maintain seamless access to their authentication credentials across their iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

• iOS 15: In iOS 15, passkeys were device-bound, meaning they could not be synced across devices or stored in the cloud. This limitation made it necessary for users to create new passkeys for each device, which was less convenient and somewhat limited the broader adoption of passkeys during this period.

• Earlier iOS Versions: Prior to iOS 15, Apple didn't support passkeys or WebAuthn at all, so passkeys could neither be created nor used for logins.

• Security: Passkeys stored in iCloud Keychain are protected by Apple’s robust security infrastructure, including hardware-level encryption and end-to-end encryption. This ensures that only the user can access their passkeys, even if iCloud were compromised.

• Cross-Device Syncing: The ability to sync passkeys across multiple devices through iCloud Keychain in iOS 16+ is a significant advancement, improving both convenience and security. Users no longer need to worry about losing access to their passkeys if they lose their device.

• Third-Party Password Managers: In iOS 17+, users can opt to store passkeys in their preferred password managers. These third-party solutions may offer additional features such as cross-platform compatibility, which is particularly useful for users who work with both Apple and non-Apple devices.

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