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The “Sign in with Apple” feature is scheduled to be introduced with iOS 13, iPadOS 13, and macOS 10.15 Catalina this fall and will be available for all apps with third-party sign-in options on iPhone, iPad, and Mac—Android and Windows users can also take advantage of it—that’s how the new Apple service works.
What exactly is “Sign in with Apple”?
The single sign-on feature was announced on the WWDC 2019 stage as a secure alternative to the ubiquitous solutions from Facebook and Google. The feature allows users to create a new account on suitable apps, websites, and other services without revealing potentially sensitive private information. Unlike existing solutions, "Sign in with Apple" users can authenticate using Face ID or Touch ID and decide for themselves which personal information is shared with the respective provider, significantly strengthening data protection.
A special email forwarding system allows users of this solution to disguise their personal email address with an anonymized version generated based on apps or services. The strategy not only ensures privacy but also the ability to completely stop communication with a company when an account is closed.
How to use Sign in with Apple
If you want to register with an application, it should of course support the so-called third-party login option – in the future you will be able to choose between Apple, Facebook, and Google. If this requirement is met, you can proceed with the new "Sign in with Apple" function. In the second step, while creating the new account, you will be asked whether you want to share your Apple ID with the company or hide it – users of this option will most likely use the anonymization option. You will then log in with your Apple ID – the remaining steps are handled automatically in the background, as you no longer need to enter an additional password or email address.
Each application gets its own email address
The "Sign in with Apple" option allows developers to communicate with users even if they don't have a personal email address. As mentioned above, users receive a verified but anonymized email address linked to the customer's Apple ID. Apple does not store emails; they are deleted from the database as soon as they are delivered. The disguised but verified email address is also generated individually for each application. This means that no one email address is used for two services at the same time. If the user deletes their account, the developer is notified. The link to the Apple ID is then removed, and the generated email address is permanently deleted.
Which services will offer the “Sign in with Apple” feature?
With iOS 13, iPadOS 13 and macOS Catalina Apple's App Store guidelines are changing. All developers who offer third-party sign-in options are required to integrate Apple's solution as well. This means that any app that currently allows you to sign in with Facebook, Google, or another service must also include the "Sign in with Apple" option.
Of course, there will still be applications that simply require a login with a stored email address and a password. You can also use "Sign in with Apple" on the web—an iPhone, iPad, or Mac is not required. This means that Android and Windows users can also benefit from the feature—as long as they have an active Apple ID. Ultimately, Apple wants to give everyone the opportunity to better protect their privacy—perhaps one day the "Sign in with Apple" option will be available on every platform. (Image: Apple)
