Secrets Password Manager for MacOS and IOS 2022 REVIEW

Secrets is a solid option for your online security.

For many years I wrote down my passwords on a piece of paper. Then I moved that list to a spreadsheet. After that I started using the same password for every login I had. All of these password storage methods are 100% insecure and exactly what you should not do. What you should do is use a password manager, which is an application designed to help users store all important information, including usernames, passwords, and other information they want to keep safe.

Password managers usually have a central repository, or “vault”, where data is securely stored. Many password managers also have the ability to generate strong, unique passwords for the user’s accounts and will even fill in the login information for the user on websites and apps.

According to security.org, only 1 in 5 Americans currently use a password manager. Although a third of all Americans had their identity or login information compromised in 2021, using a password manager is still not a widespread practice despite the many different options to choose from. One such password manager is Secrets.

Overview

Secrets is a password manager that offers a simple, secure way for users to store passwords and protect digital wallet information. With it you can safely store passwords, credit cards, bank details and more. A user’s data is stored using modern cryptographic algorithms such as XSalsa20 and XChaCha20 using 256-bit keys. User data remains in the Secrets app where it is handled and decrypted.

Browser extensions and helper apps turn to Secrets to access your data. Secrets automatically locks when you navigate away from it to keep your information safe – even if your device is lost or stolen. The app can only be accessed with the master password that unlocks the vault.

The Secrets app has an integrated password generator that provides unique passwords that are unpredictable. The app will also perform a security check on your logins to find weak, old or broken passwords.

Secrets was originally released for macOS and iOS in 2016. It was a featured app in the Mac App Store in February 2017 and was added to Setapp in January 2018. In September 2020, Secrets for Windows/Linux was released.

Secrets is developed by a small Lisbon-based software studio run by Paulo Andrade called Outer Corner. Andrade has been developing for iOS since the first introduction of the iPhone SDK in 2008. The app is built in AppKit and UIKit with Objective-C as the code language (the codebase predates Swift).

When the app launched in Product Hunt, Andrade had this to say about the password manager when asked about its appeal to someone who was already using an established product.

With Secrets, we put safety first. Secrets stores your data using the OpenPGP standard, a battle-tested standard that has already seen a few revisions. This also allows users to easily self-verify how their data is stored using third-party tools.

We also tried to make it extremely easy to work with, not only from a UX perspective, but also from a security perspective. By not having browser extensions and helper apps prompt you for your passphrase, we reduce the attack vectors on your data. Note that we still have a browser autofill feature, we just do it from outside the browser using other OS features. Not running code in your browser was a goal from the start.

Privacy statement

According to the App Store, Secrets collects data not associated with the user, including usage data and diagnostics. Click here to read the full privacy policy.

The main features

• iCloud sync: Sync Secrets seamlessly with your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to access your information wherever you go.
• Password generator: Free your mind from all those passwords. Create unique and secure passwords for all your logins.
• Autofill: Better than copying and pasting. Use Secrets to auto-fill login information in Safari and other browsers.
• Two-factor authentication: Generate one-time passwords for services that support two-factor authentication, including Google, Facebook, and Dropbox.
• Quick Unlock: Unlock secrets without typing your passphrase with Touch ID or Apple Watch.
• Import: Transfer passwords and other information from applications like 1Password and LastPass to Secrets.
• Simple pricing: No subscriptions. Free for up to 10 items. Unlock unlimited items with a $19.99 in-app purchase.
• Browser extensions: Support for Safari is built in, and extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Brave and Vivaldi are also available.
• Attachments: Because your private data may not just be text… you can attach files to your items and also have them securely stored.
• Safety first: Cryptography is hard, we know. That’s why we rely on the popular Sodium library and use modern cryptos like XSalsa20 and Poly1305. Learn more >
• Beautifully simple: Keeping your information safe online is easy with our simple and beautifully designed app.
• Not just passwords: Use Secrets to store notes, credit card numbers, bank details and other confidential information.

Price and availability

Secrets are free to use for up to 10 items. Unlimited items can be accessed by paying $19.99 for the Premium version. The password manager is available for macOS and iOS, and separate premium licenses must be purchased for each version. Secrets are also available through Setapp.

User experience

Secrets is a very impressive set of apps. The design of the user interface is amazing. It is very clean and intuitive. One of the more impressive aspects of this app was how easy it was to import records. For the most part, my logins were stored in the Apple Keychain. I was able to easily export all that information to a CSV file and then select it as the import data. I made sure the data fields matched between the CSV and Secrets, but other than that, Secrets did a good job importing and evaluating the data.

I’ve been running Secrets on my Mac (through Setapp) and on my iPhone for a couple of months now, and overall it’s been a pleasant experience. In terms of security, I haven’t experienced any issues with how the app works and has not noticed any potential security risks. That said, there are a couple of upgrades I’d like to see done.

Hidden Mac app

When using Secrets on the macOS side of things, the entire app must be open for the extension in Safari or the menu tool to work. I’d like to see the whole app become a “hidden” app. What I mean by that is you don’t have the app actively open and the app’s icon isn’t open in the Finder dock unless you manually open it. I hate having a full app open when it’s not necessary. There are other password managers that perform this functionality. So I hope that Secrets can also do that in the future.

AutoFill on Mac

The overall experience with the iOS version of Secrets is smooth as butter. It just works. I found the macOS version to be a little bumpy in places. The autofill feature was one of those places. When you set Secrets to be the default password manager for autofill purposes in Safari, a separate app window opens to confirm your credentials. This is a little different than what I have experienced with other password managers. These apps usually live in the input fields as a widget rather than opening a completely separate window.

More frequent updates

Another thing I would like to see happen with Secrets is more frequent updates. At the time of publishing this article, Secrets was last updated 3 months ago (on both Mac and iOS). Even if no major features are released, I would think that bugs or security updates need to be more frequent.

Conclusion

A password manager is a great way to keep your passwords safe and secure, and Secrets is a solid option for macOS and iOS users. It is easy to use and has a number of features that make it the best option for most people. Plus, it’s affordable and comes with a free trial so you can try it before you buy it.

For more information, visit outercorner.com or Twitter.