It’s easy to accidentally overwrite a password. However, with the release of macOS Tahoe, Apple has added a new feature to its Passwords application that allows users to retrieve older passwords. This enhancement addresses a common issue: while having a centralized location for password management is convenient, it also creates a single point of failure where mistakes can occur.
Often, you may leave a password unchanged for years, despite the importance of regularly updating credentials. If you find yourself needing to log into a site from a non-personal device, you might not remember the password. In that case, you would typically use the “Forgot Password” feature, reset it to something new, and move on.
Unfortunately, when you return to your devices, it can be difficult to recall the new password. This situation can lead to a cycle of using the “Forgot Password” option multiple times, resulting in several passwords for the same site, with only a couple possibly saved in the Passwords app. A poor internet connection can even leave you uncertain if a password change was successfully completed.
When sharing passwords with colleagues, the confusion may lead you to wish for a simpler authentication method, such as passkeys, Touch ID, or Face ID. Fortunately, Apple’s updated Passwords app in macOS Tahoe includes a version history feature that helps users navigate through these challenges. While it doesn’t eliminate the hassles of managing multiple passwords on various devices, it provides clarity by showing when passwords were changed and what those changes were.
To access the password version history, simply open the Passwords app on your Mac, select a login entry, and click on “View History” if it’s available. This feature will only appear if you’ve changed the password in the past. You can see each alteration’s date, providing a timeline of your passwords.
Although there is an option to clear the history, it’s usually unnecessary, as all stored passwords are secured and may be required for future reference. This update brings Apple’s Passwords functionality closer to that of more advanced password managers, which have included version history features, making it a significant step forward since its initial launch.
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