[Officially released] Apple might soon release official iCloud Passwords extension for Firefox

Update 04/12/24 12:26 pm (IST): Apple seems to have quietly made the extension official. They’ve even updated the description on the page, which previously said “This extension is not endorsed in any way by Apple Inc.”

Original article published on November 12, 2024, follows:

Apple might be gearing up to release an official iCloud Passwords extension for Firefox. The news, shared by Reddit user au2001 (the developer of a third-party iCloud Passwords extension for Firefox), suggests that Apple recently reached out to them to discuss taking over their project. The developer explained that Apple contacted them via Mozilla, as their third-party extension is currently the only way to access iCloud Passwords on Firefox.

This would mark a big step for Apple, as the company’s official iCloud Passwords extension has so far been available only for Chrome and Edge. With Firefox potentially joining the lineup, macOS users might soon have seamless access to their iCloud Keychain passwords across even more browsers. The third-party extension by au2001 has been a popular solution on Firefox for users who want iCloud Keychain compatibility, boasting over 3,300 users and a 4.1-star rating on the Firefox Add-ons page.

It seems Apple is moving quickly on this, and the developer is willing to transfer the project to them. However, they made it clear that if Apple’s extension doesn’t meet users’ expectations, they’ll re-publish the third-party version and keep it maintained as an alternative. Currently, the source code for the extension remains publicly accessible on GitHub.

If Apple officially releases this extension, it could simplify things for Firefox users who prefer Apple’s ecosystem, especially since iCloud Keychain offers built-in password generation and management. Currently, the official support for iCloud Passwords on Windows is limited to Chrome and Edge through the iCloud for Windows app, which disables the built-in password-saving feature in those browsers.

While there’s no official release date yet, it’s clear that this addition would bring Apple’s iCloud Passwords experience a little closer to feature parity across popular browsers like Edge and Chrome. This would also come in handy for those users who are ditching Chrome for Firefox. That said, not all is going well for the company. Mozilla recently laid off 30% of its staff to meet their goals. Nevertheless, feel free to let us know your thoughts on Apple taking over this third-party project in the comments below.