iOS 8 Simplifies App Login Process with Safari Password Sharing

Logging into and setting up apps will be easier in iOS 8 thanks to new Continuity APIs Apple has introduced to allow iOS apps to access Safari's stored usernames and passwords. The feature, announced at a developer session at WWDC (via 9to5Mac), will let users quickly log in to an app that is associated with a website they have previously visited.

For example, if a user has accessed Gmail in Safari for Mac or iOS and opted to store a password, that password can then be used to log in to Google's Gmail iOS app with a single tap, greatly speeding up and streamlining the login process. During the session, Apple demonstrated with a test website and app called "Shiny."

apiexample
The functionality is available to all developers and has the potential to be built into any third-party app with an accompanying website. Developers will need to associate a website with their app, which will then give them the option to request credentials saved in Safari, offering the option at login.

The process also works both ways. Apps that have an associated website that a user has not visited will be able to store login information to Safari, later letting a user access that stored information on the web when browsing to the site associated with the app.

As part of Continuity, the new Safari/app integration is designed to make it easier to seamlessly switch between devices, cutting down on the frustration of logging into an app. Apple also hopes the new system will increase security, as users can now select Safari's randomized suggested passwords for both apps and websites.

Related Forum: iOS 8

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
iPadOS 26 App Windowing

Apple Explains Why iPads Don't Just Run macOS

Friday June 13, 2025 7:46 am PDT by
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why. In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Logitech Logo Feature

Logitech Announces Two New Accessories for WWDC

Friday June 13, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro. The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...
iOS 26 Screens

Here Are All the iOS 26 Features That Require iPhone 15 Pro or Newer

Thursday June 12, 2025 4:53 am PDT by
With iOS 26, Apple has introduced some major changes to the iPhone experience, headlined by the new Liquid Glass redesign that's available across all compatible devices. However, several of the update's features are exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, since they rely on Apple Intelligence. The following features are powered by on-device large language models and machine...
CarPlay Liquid Glass Dark

Apple to Let iPhone Users Watch Videos on CarPlay Screen While Parked

Thursday June 12, 2025 6:16 am PDT by
Apple this week announced that iPhone users will soon be able to watch videos right on the CarPlay screen in supported vehicles. iPhone users will be able to wirelessly stream videos to the CarPlay screen using AirPlay, according to Apple. For safety reasons, video playback will only be available when the vehicle is parked, to prevent distracted driving. The connected iPhone will be able to...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Hate iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design? Here's How to Tone It Down

Wednesday June 11, 2025 4:22 pm PDT by
iOS 26 features a whole new design material that Apple calls Liquid Glass, with a focus on transparency that lets the content on your display shine through the controls. If you're not a fan of the look, or are having trouble with readability, there is a step that you can take to make things more opaque without entirely losing out on the new look. Apple has multiple Accessibility options that ...
Mac Studio Feature

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished Mac Studio With M4 Max and M3 Ultra Chips at a Discount

Thursday June 12, 2025 10:14 am PDT by
Apple today added Mac Studio models with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips to its online certified refurbished store in the United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and many European countries, for the first time since they were released in March. As usual for refurbished Macs, prices are discounted by approximately 15% compared to the equivalent new models on Apple's online store. Note that Apple's ...
iOS 26 Feature

Apple Seeds Revised iOS 26 Developer Beta to Fix Battery Issue

Friday June 13, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with a revised version of the first iOS 26 beta for testing purposes. The update is only available for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, so if you're running iOS 26 on an iPhone 14 or earlier, you won't see the revised beta. Registered developers can download the new beta software through the Settings app on each device. The revised beta addresses an...

Top Rated Comments

joejoejoe Avatar
144 months ago
This combined with iCloud Keychain and Touch ID and we'll barely ever have to remember our passwords again.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BlahBlahBen Avatar
144 months ago
How will developers need to associate? will it be just a string of a domain, or is there any verification...
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cali Fornia Avatar
144 months ago
TouchID and this will be heaven for anyone who hates inserting passworts.
Looking forward to upgrading my iPhone 5 in the fall.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
144 months ago
These credentials are stored in Keychain, not "in Safari". Safari merely stored them in Keychain, but other applications can access them. This is actually a very handy feature, and I hope it comes to OS X, as well.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nwcs Avatar
144 months ago
I hope they allow password managers like 1Password participate in this capability. A lot of us prefer to manage our passwords outside of Safari for various reasons. Having deeper integration would be awesome.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lotzosushi Avatar
144 months ago
All hail Continuity!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)