Apple’s upcoming operating system updates are set to unveil a long-awaited feature for those wishing to navigate a password-free landscape: an efficient and secure mechanism for exporting and importing passkeys across different platforms and applications. Here’s how it will function.
According to Ars Technica’s Dan Goodin (via SixColors), Apple showcased this new functionality during WWDC25, tackling one of the most significant drawbacks of passkeys so far.
Previously, passkeys generated on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad were predominantly confined within the Apple ecosystem, syncing effortlessly across iCloud-enabled devices but lacking a feasible method to transition them to Windows, Android, or various other third-party credential managers.
This limitation has sparked legitimate criticism, as passkeys, while promising enhanced security, seemed to impose a new type of vendor lock-in. If you lost access to your Apple device or wished to switch platforms, your passkeys effectively became unreachable.
A Protocol Challenge
The issue of portability wasn’t solely an Apple dilemma. It represented a broader industry challenge as the FIDO Alliance worked diligently to establish secure methods for facilitating communication between different platforms and applications without compromising the very security model that makes passkeys worthwhile.
Now, with support from the FIDO Alliance—including Google, Microsoft, 1Password, Dashlane, Bitwarden, and others—Apple is introducing native import and export capabilities for passkeys. This feature will launch later this year with iOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, iPadOS 26, and visionOS 26.
This functionality doesn’t stop at passkeys; Apple has indicated that the same framework will also facilitate the secure transfer of passwords and verification codes.
No Messy Files, No Manual Exports
The significance of this feature lies in its operational methodology. Unlike conventional password exports that generate unencrypted CSV or JSON files, this new technique ensures end-to-end encryption, app-to-app transfer, and mandates local authentication (like Face ID or Touch ID) to proceed.
The data won’t linger in a potentially unsafe export file on your device. Instead, the transfer will occur directly between credential manager applications—or from the system keychain to an app—and will utilize a standardized data format devised by the FIDO Alliance for cross-compatibility.
“This empowers users with greater control over their data and the choice of credential manager to utilize,” the narrator in Apple’s demo elaborated. This marks a notable shift in approach, especially considering the previously close integration of Apple’s Keychain ecosystem.
The feature is set to launch later this year. For anyone hesitant to fully embrace passkeys due to concerns about ecosystem lock-in, this development is precisely the progress we’ve been anticipating.
For those interested in the technical specifics, be sure to check out Apple’s “What’s New in Passkeys” session on the Apple Developer website.
