If you find yourself typing the same personal data and credit card information over and over again on your iPhone, it’s time to set up Safari AutoFill. Setting up AutoFill in Safari on your iPhone saves you time and ensures the accuracy of the information you enter into forms online.

Here we are going to look at various ways to do so:

Using Two-factor authentication

Introducing verification codes into account logins can be a powerful way to prevent account takeovers. In addition to the account name, email address, and password information, two-factor authentication (2FA) requires access to code sent to the user or generated by the app. User information is vulnerable, as billions of accounts have been leaked out in the past, and adding a verification code increases the security.

Apple has applied its own 2FA system to the Apple ID and has not supported other systems for a while. With the recent releases of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, the Messages app started to recognize 2FA codes sent as text messages and appeared in the Quick Type on iOS and iPadOS and Safari drop-down menus for macOS. Apple has further improved the 2FA system in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and Safari 15 for macOS. Now, Apple directly supports TOTP (Time-based One Time Password), which is a widely used authentication code first distributed by Google.

Sites with 2FA systems typically provide confidential information that serves as a sort of priming. This information, usually in the form of text strings and QR codes, is kept by the site and stored in the user’s TOTP manager. When a user logs in, the site performs a time-based algorithm on the shared confidential information, much like a TOTP administrator, and then matches the calculation results against the information provided by the user. The results will match only if the site and the user have the same confidential information.

In Safari, you can add a verification code by long-pressing the QR code or pressing the control key. You will then be prompted to select or search for an existing matching password. If none is registered, you will have to create one first.

On the next log-in, Safari will provide the code through a quick type or drop-down autofill prompt whenever a user visits a site that requires a code.

If you are already using TOTP for your account, you must do one of two things:

• Cancel the existing 2FA, then re-register and re-create the password. Some sites do not display the password at all after registering for 2FA for the first time.
• Display the TOTP by providing the current code and additional verification information. At this point, you can select a QR code to add to your password.

Use Autofill From a Password Manager

Third-party password managers work in Safari and use a “web-view” to display a web page. Unlike on desktop browsers, this autofill doesn’t happen automatically. You have to tap a button to autofill your credentials, improving the security of the device.

To do this, navigate to the login page on the website where you want to fill in a username and password and tap the “Share” button. In Safari, the Share button is found at the bottom of the screen.

You will first need to enable the share sheet action before you can use it. This is done once and becomes available automatically in the future.

• Scroll to the right on the second row of icons and tap “More”.
• Got to password manager and toggle to enable it. If you drag your password manager’s action to the top of the list, this will make it appear on the left side of the action list on the sheet and be more easily accessible without any scrolling required.
• If the password manager’s action doesn’t appear in this list, you will need to install the password manager’s app from the App Store. As long as the app is installed, its action will appear as an option you can enable.
• Tap “Done” once you’re done.

You can now tap your password manager’s icon on the share sheet to start auto-filling. Your password manager will first authenticate you through the Touch ID or Face ID, just as if you opened its app.

Once it’s authenticated, you’ll be able to choose a login. It’ll show you logins that match the current website available in your web browser, so you can choose your preferred account if you have multiple ones. Tap the account and the credentials will be automatically filled on the current page.

Enable AutoFill to Use Your Contact Info

To enable AutoFill to use your contact data:

• Open the Settings app.
• Tap Safari to navigate to the Safari Settings.
• Tap AutoFill.
• Turn on the Use Contact Info toggle switch.
• Tap My Info.
• Select your contact info.
• Your contact info will then be automatically enabled to use AutoFill.

Change or Update Your Personal Info for AutoFill.

AutoFill pulls your personal information, including your name, phone number, and email address, from your My Card contact card in contacts.

Here’s how to change or update this information:

• Open Contacts.
• Tap My Card at the top of the screen.
• Tap Edit.
• Change your name or company name, and add a phone number, email address, birthday, URL, and more.
• Tap Done.

Your personal contact information will be changed, and AutoFill will now pull this updated data.

Enable or Change AutoFill for Credit and Debit Cards

To enable AutoFill to use your credit and debit card information, and to add a new credit card to AutoFill:

• Open the Settings app.
• Tap Safari to open Safari Settings.
• Tap AutoFill.
• Turn on the Credit Card toggle switch to enable Credit Card AutoFill.
• Tap Saved Credit Cards.
• Enter your iPhone passcode or Touch ID when prompted, or use Face ID if supported.
• Select Add Credit Card.
• AutoFill can now access your updated credit card information.

Enable or Change AutoFill for IDs and Passwords

Activate the iCloud Keychain

To enable AutoFill to save and use IDs and passwords, you have to first activate the iCloud Keychain.

To activate the iCloud Keychain:

• Open the Settings app and tap your Apple ID banner at the top of the screen.
• Tap iCloud.
  
• Scroll down the list and select Keychain.
• Turn on the iCloud Keychain toggle switch and enter your Apple ID password if prompted.

Enable AutoFill to Use Saved IDs and Passwords

To allow AutoFill to use your saved IDs and passwords:

• Go to Settings and scroll down to Passwords and Accounts.
• Tap AutoFill Passwords.
• Toggle AutoFill Passwords to On.

It is a good thing that Apple supports TOTP as its password function. Enabling the iCloud Keychain ensures that verification codes get synced securely across all connected devices.

How is Autofill different from the iCloud Keychain?

Autofill stores your information on your specific iOS or iPadOS device when enabled. The iCloud Keychain syncs that information across all your iOS or iPadOS devices if turned on in iCloud Settings or Preferences. So, autofill and iCloud Keychain work hand in hand, sharing information and storing it on your iOS or iPadOS devices and computers. If you have more than one Apple device, use iCloud Keychain to keep your passwords, and contact information, so it’s synced across all your devices and computers.

Set Up iCloud Keychain on ALL Devices

You need to set the iCloud Keychain to ON for all your iOS or iPadOS devices. Next, enter your Apple ID and Password and approve the sync for all other iOS or iPadOS and macs that are logged in using the same Apple ID and Password.

Conclusion

There you go, you can modify any login data saved on your device using this approach.

With any changes to your online account login details, contact information, and address details, or getting a new credit card, edit the information that’s used by AutoFill in order to keep using it while you’re browsing the web.

You can choose to sync the stored credit card information across all your other macOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices with the help of iCloud Keychain. Make sure to sign in to all the devices using the same Apple ID and keep the Keychain enabled in the iCloud settings, on any of your devices.

Once you have Use Contact Info and Credit Cards set up, you can fill in any web forms in Safari with your saved information by selecting AutoFill.

Autofill makes working with your iPhone or another iOS or iPadOS easy and convenient, especially when filling out form information for online ordering. With this feature enabled, your iOS or iPadOS logs into websites automatically, without the need to enter any credentials. When you visit a site that needs your information, use the option called AutoFill.

AutoFill saves and automatically fills out personal information on websites. It just makes online browsing and shopping on your iOS or iPadOS, a much easier and calmer experience. Use it and save yourself a lot of time!