OS X Mavericks: what is the iCloud keychain?

The iCloud keychain is one of the big innovations in OS X Mavericks. We show you what the new feature can do and how it works.

The most important functions of the iCloud keychain

The iCloud keychain is a collection of passwords that you can access from all your Macs from Mavericks and iOS devices from iOS 7.0.3. You can also save the names and passwords of WiFi networks or credit card data here.

• For OS X Mavericks, activate the iCloud keychain in the system settings under iCloud. When you activate it, you enter a keychain password that also protects your password collection against the curiosity of strangers.
• You can see all saved passwords and certificates in the keychain administration in the program folder or on the launchpad.
• The keychain can also generate new passwords for your account access. If you register for a new account and click in the password input field, the keychain will automatically create a password proposal for you.

Of course, the iCloud keychain only adds value for you if you use multiple Macs and / or iOS devices. Another new feature on Mac OS X Mavericks is the messaging center, which we introduce to you here.