Apple introduced its password manager, the Passwords app, in iOS 18, loosening the Keychain restrictions. Still, if you’re looking for more flexibility or using an unsupported version of iOS or iPadOS, you might look for other options. A solution is available in an app you probably already have installed: Siri Shortcuts.
Below, we’ll explain how to quickly generate passwords in the Passwords app and Siri Shortcuts, which is, in some ways, more accessible than Apple’s solution.
How to generate passwords in the Passwords app
If you have iOS or iPadOS 18 installed and are looking for a quick and easy way to generate strong passwords on the fly, the Passwords app might be the way to go. Everything you need in one place. Here’s how it works:
- Open the Passwords app.
- Tap the “+” icon in the bottom right of the screen.
- Ignore the “Website or Label” and “Username” sections and tap as if you were entering a password field, not the password label.
- You’ll see a small “Strong Password Suggestion” just above the keyboard. Tap a password suggestion to add it to the password area and copy it to use anywhere.
If you want to save these credentials in addition to just generating a password, you can add a website/label, username, and notes. If you want a different password suggestion, tap any other text input field, like this: B. Select User or Notes and tap the password field again to see another suggestion.
And that’s it! If that’s all you want from a password generator, it couldn’t be easier. However, if you want to access your passwords from multiple places, we recommend you read on and learn about the following options:
Generate Passwords with Siri Shortcuts
Use the link below to download the password generating shortcut to your iPhone, which will automatically redirect you to the Shortcuts app. Tap Add Shortcut to download the shortcut to your phone. The Password Generate shortcut will now appear in your library of shortcuts.
Once the shortcut is installed, use “Generate Password” to create a password that is 20 characters long with two hyphens, one capital letter, and a number (“fevNaq-1zumki-gorfoc” is an example).
There are several ways to use Generate Password:
- Siri: Say, “Hey Siri, Generate Password.”
- Share Sheet: Tap the share sheet in Safari or anywhere else, scroll down and tap Generate Password.
- Shortcuts: Tap the Generate Password shortcut directly in the Shortcuts app.
- Back Tap: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap and choose the Generate Password shortcut. You can then tap the back of your iPhone to run the shortcut.
The first time you run Generate Password, you’ll be asked to give the shortcut access to your clipboard. Hit Allow to do so. From then on, anytime you run Generate Password, a password will be created and automatically copied to your clipboard. You’ll also see a notification showing you the password. Hit Done when you’re finished.
