Apple's Mac Passwords app will let you pick when it locks

Apple's Passwords app on the Mac will soon let you decide when it locks itself. Right now it waits three minutes, and that is the only choice. A new menu found in the macOS 27.3 beta changes that, and the update is expected in December.

What changed

The Passwords app is where a Mac stores your iCloud passwords and logins. In the current macOS 27.2 release, and in earlier versions, it locks after three minutes of inactivity. That timer cannot be changed. The code explorer pdfu spotted the new menu in the 27.3 beta, as reported by MacRumors.

The new options

• Lock after one minute of inactivity
• Lock after three minutes, the current default
• Lock after 10 minutes of inactivity
• Lock when the Mac itself locks or goes to sleep
• Never lock automatically

Who it affects

Anyone who uses the Passwords app on a Mac. It matters most if you share a computer or work in public places such as cafes. A shorter timer means less time for someone else to see or use your saved logins if you step away. The 10-minute and never-lock choices trade some safety for convenience.

What happens next

The feature is in a beta, which is an early test version of software. Betas can change before the public release. Apple has not announced the feature itself, so the final menu could differ. Apple added the dedicated Passwords app with macOS Sequoia in September 2024. When 27.3 arrives, the setting should be easy to find inside the app.