Apple's Passwords App Becomes Agentic
Apple rarely uses the word "agentic." This is changing with the Passwords app, which will soon be able to navigate the web on its own.
Automatic password change in iOS 27: Apple can also be agentic.
(Image: Apple)
Whether at OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google, when it comes to artificial intelligence, the terms “AI agent” or “agentic” are never far away. Apple, on the other hand, holds back here; Software Chief Craig Federighi even claimed recently before press and analysts that today's agents for end customers (i.e., outside of coding assistants) are “exciting experiments” but still “very early.” However, at the WWDC keynote on Monday, the term “agentic” was heard at least once. It was in an unexpected place: with innovations in Apple's Passwords app.
Passwords App Takes a Trip to the Web
The feature is part of iOS 27 and is intended to ensure that compromised credentials can be updated more quickly. While passwords can already warn if account data has appeared in known leaks, the actual work is done by the user: they have to go to the respective website themselves to change it and thus secure it again. With iOS 27, a “new agentic AI workflow” is supposed to take over this task, according to Apple.
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To this end, there is a new function that allows passwords to be corrected automatically. In the “Security” section, the app now shows an overview of recommendations. If you want to have the change made automatically, you click on “Fix.” Then, Apple's agent runs in the background, logs in, changes the passwords, and finally stores them in the password database (which can also be synchronized via iCloud). Apple states that secure passwords will be used according to the user's specifications.
Technical Details Still Scarce
Apple has not yet provided details on how the function works technically. However, since it apparently works with all websites, the agent would have to use a browsing mode in the background. The process is extremely sensitive, so it is hoped that Apple will provide corresponding documentation so that security researchers can examine the function more closely.
Users will have access to the changed password in the Passwords app at any time, but this further increases dependence on one provider (namely Apple). Password managers are available from many providers, including open-source systems.
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