Apple is always adding new features to its software, but every now and then a change arrives that it’s hard to live without. One such killer feature lets you autofill two-factor authentication codes, and it’s getting even better in iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe this fall.

Autofill expanding to third-party messaging, email, and browser apps

When I think about key Apple features that stand out as truly special, a handful come to mind. Wi-Fi network sharing with just a tap, iPhone Mirroring on the Mac, and another highlight is autofill for one-time verification codes.

More than ever, websites and apps are pushing two-factor authentication for logins. As such, my own use of Apple’s autofill feature has increased significantly in the past year.

As it stands today, autofill can pull in SMS codes from Apple’s Messages app, and also supports 2FA codes in Apple Mail. Those codes show up right above the iOS keyboard, and are automatically deleted after use.

The feature even works on the Mac via Text Message Forwarding—only in Safari, though.

But iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe are bringing the feature to third-party apps in a big way.

Now supported in the first betas for iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe, users can enjoy three improvements:

1. On iPhone, SMS codes can be detected in third-party messaging apps, not just Apple’s Messages app
2. Similarly, 2FA codes in third-party email apps like Gmail can be pulled in too
3. On Mac, third-party browsers can use the 2FA autofill feature that was previously exclusive to Safari

These three changes are welcome updates to an already great feature.

iOS 26 letting you autofill codes from Gmail and popular third-party messages apps should make a big impact.

Source: 9to5mac