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1Password demonstrates potential of iOS 8 extensions

1Password demonstrates potential of iOS 8 extensions

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One of the most exciting features coming in Apple's iOS 8 update is extensions. Starting this fall, third-party iOS apps will work together better than they ever have before. If everything works out the way Apple wants it to, you'll suddenly find yourself jumping between various apps less and less. At WWDC, Apple demonstrated how this will make photo editing way easier. You can forget about those ridiculous workflows of putting a single photo through three or four apps. But extensions also have the potential to make our lives more convenient in numerous other ways, like password management. 1Password today offered a preview of what its own "holy grail" extension will look like on iOS 8.

Basically, it will allow other third-party developers to tap into 1Password and fill in your password without ever leaving their own app. There's not even a PIN to remember, since AgileBits also plans to support TouchID for authentication. Apple is opening up the security measure with iOS 8, so autofilling logins will be as simple as holding down a finger on the home button. That's it. Passwords aren't dead yet, but at least iOS 8's extensions will make dealing with them less of a hassle. And Apple itself is giving third-party apps access to iCloud Keychain in iOS 8, which should make logging in even easier if you've got passwords stored there. This level of convenience is new to iOS, though Android users already have a similar, though not identical solution thanks to apps like LastPass.

Update: Article has been updated to include details about iCloud Keychain in iOS 8.