![What Is Login Keychain For Mac What Is Login Keychain For Mac](/uploads/1/1/8/8/118895044/126700474.png)
The password of your macOS user account is also known as your login password. It's the password that you use to log in to your Mac and make certain changes, such as installing software.
Change your password
Top Mac Password Manager Apps. Forgetting passwords can be part of the daily routine. A keychain password is the master password for your Mac's 'Keychain Access' app, which stores your login information for websites and accounts across the internet. Managing your Macintosh Keychain. What is a keychain? The keychain in Mac OS X is Apple’s password management system. A keychain can store all your passwords for applications, servers, and websites, or even sensitive information unrelated to your computer, such as credit card numbers or personal identification numbers (PINs) for bank accounts. After you enter your new password (same to the password of your Mac account), Keychain Access creates an empty login keychain with no password. Click OK to confirm. (If you don't see a Reset My Default keychain button, close the preferences window and select the “login” keychain from the left side of the Keychain Access window.
If you know your password and can use it to log in to your account, you can change your password in Users & Groups preferences:
- Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu, then click Users & Groups.
- Select your user name from the list of users.
- Click the Change Password button, then follow the onscreen instructions.
Reset your password
If you don't remember your password, or it isn't working, you might be able to reset it using one of the methods described below. But first try these simpler solutions:
- Make sure that you're typing the correct uppercase or lowercase characters. If your keyboard has Caps Lock turned on, the password field shows a Caps Lock symbol .
- If the password field shows a question mark, click it to display a password hint that might help you to remember.
- Try to log in without a password. If that works, you can then add a password by following the steps to change your password.
- Try to log in with the Apple ID password that you use for iCloud. If you just changed that password and the new password isn't working, try the old password first. If that works, you should be able to use the new password from then on.
Reset using your Apple ID
In some macOS versions, you can use your Apple ID to reset your login password. At the login screen, keep entering a password until you see a message saying that you can reset your password using Apple ID. If you don't see the message after three attempts, your account isn't set up to allow resetting with Apple ID.
- Click next to the Apple ID message, then follow the onscreen instructions to enter your Apple ID and create a new password. You'll be asked to restart when done.
- Log in with your new password.
- Determine whether to create a new login keychain.
Reset using another admin account
If you know the name and password of an admin account on your Mac, you can use that account to reset the password.
- Log in with the name and password of the other admin account.
- Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu, then click Users & Groups.
- Click , then enter the admin name and password again.
- Select your user name from the list of users.
- Click the Reset Password button, then follow the onscreen instructions to create a new password:
- Choose Log Out from the Apple menu.
- Log in to your account using your new password.
- Determine whether to create a new login keychain.
Reset using the Reset Password assistant (FileVault must be on)
If FileVault is turned on, you might be able to reset your password using the Reset Password assistant:
- Wait up to a minute at the login screen, until you see a message saying that you can use the power button on your Mac to shut down and start up again in Recovery OS. If you don't see this message, FileVault isn't on.
- Press and hold the power button until your Mac turns off.
- Press the power button again to turn on your Mac.
- When the Reset Password window appears, follow the onscreen instructions to create a new password.
If you need to connect to Wi-Fi, move your pointer to the top of the screen and use the Wi-Fi menu to connect. To exit without resetting your password, choose Apple menu > Restart. - When done, click Restart.
- If you were able to reset your password with the Reset Password assistant, log in to your account using your new password.
- Determine whether to create a new login keychain.
Reset using your Recovery Key (FileVault must be on)
If FileVault is turned on and you have a FileVault Recovery Key, you can use that key to reset your password.
- At the login screen, keep entering a password until you see a message saying that you can reset your password using your Recovery Key. If you don't see the message after three attempts, FileVault isn't on.
- Click next to the message. The password field changes to a Recovery Key field.
- Enter your Recovery Key. Use uppercase characters, and include the hyphens.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to create a new password, then click Reset Password when done.
- Determine whether to create a new login keychain.
If you can't log in with your new password after restarting your Mac, take these additional steps:
- Restart again, then immediately hold down Command-R or one of the other macOS Recovery key combinations until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
- When you see the macOS Utilities window, choose Utilities > Terminal from the menu bar.
- In the Terminal window, type
resetpassword
, then press Return to open the Reset Password assistant pictured above. - Select ”My password doesn't work when logging in,” then click Next and follow the onscreen instructions for your user account.
Create a new login keychain, if necessary
After resetting your password and logging back in to your account, you might see an alert that the system was unable to unlock your login keychain. This is expected, because the passwords for your user account and login keychain no longer match. Just click the Create New Keychain button in the alert.
If you didn't see an alert about your login keychain, or you see other messages asking for your old password, reset your keychain manually:
What Is Login Keychain In Mac
- Open Keychain Access, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
- Choose Preferences from the Keychain Access menu, then click the Reset My Default Keychain button in the preferences window. After you enter your new password, Keychain Access creates an empty login keychain with no password. Click OK to confirm.
If you don't see a Reset My Default keychain button, close the preferences window and select the “login” keychain from the left side of the Keychain Access window. Press the Delete key, then click Delete References. - Choose Log Out from the Apple menu to return to the login screen.
- Log in to your account using your new password. Your account password and login keychain password now match again.
If you still can't log in
How To Find Keychain Passwords
If you still can't log in with your password, contact Apple Support for help.
- 1. iCloud Keychain
- 2. Email Passwords
- 3. Other Passwords
by Anna SherryUpdated on 2020-04-26 / Update for Keychain
Apple introduced Keychain Access with Mac OS 8.6, and the app has been part of the ecosystem ever since. Keychain Access is an application that contains various types of data, including passwords for WiFi networks, websites, FTP servers, network shares, encrypted disk images, SSH accounts, private keys, certificates, and much more. People often think of Keychain access as an app that helps you retrieve WiFi password. But it can do so much more. Important notice: always remember to change the password of your keychain, so that you do not allow access to your passwords. We will talk about various guides on Mac keychian password, how to use keychain access, and how to change keychain password on mac.
Part 1: Useful Guides About Mac Keychain Password
Access Control
You can use Keychain access to gain addition control over some applications. By default, applications store your password and do not ask for it again. If you want to ask your OS X to require additional password, use keychain access.
![What Is Login Keychain For Mac What Is Login Keychain For Mac](/uploads/1/1/8/8/118895044/322108654.jpg)
Step 1. Just double click on the application that you want to select. From the top of the window, select Access Control.
Step 2. Find the option 'Confirm before allowing access'. Check the box 'Ask for Keychain password'. From this point on, before the app can access your stored password, it will ask for your Keychain password. Simply put, it is a handy way to add another level of security to your Mac.
Recover Wi-Fi Password
As mentioned, one of the most common uses of Macbook keychain is to recover your Wi-Fi password. If you forget the password of your Wi-Fi, the app will help you recover it.
Step 1. Open the keychain app, and then select System keychain in the left column. You will see the name of your wireless network. If you do not remember the name of the network, click on the wireless logo in the menu bar and find the network with a checkmark next to it.
Step 2. Double click on your home network. A new window will pop up with some information, and at the bottom, there is an empty checkbox 'show password'. Click on it. The system will ask you to enter administrator login and password. Once you authenticate, the network password will be displayed.
Now you are succesful to recover Wi-Fi password. Do remember it forever.
Move Keychain Passwords to Another Mac Account
With Keychain Access, migrating to a new Mac is an extremely easy and straightforward process. The app allows you to make a copy of all the keychains you have on your first Mac, and move them to a second one.
Step 1. Open the Library folder. A quick way to do this in the latest Mac OS is to use the Go To Folder function by opening Finder. Hit Shift-Command-G. The window that pops up will have `/library/ already typed in. All you need to do now is type Keychains onto the end of that, and press enter.
Step 2. Select the login keychain file from the window that pops up. Copy the file, and throw in onto a USB drive, or email it to yourself. You can use any method you want for moving files. Go to the new Mac, open keychain access, and then go to File -> Add Keychain.
Part 2. How to Change Your Keychain Password
It is always a good idea to reset keychain password Mac. Every once in a while, you want to change your password. Same as with most passwords, changing them often rather than never improves your security. So, how to change keychain password on Mac? Do not worry, we have all the guides for reset keychain scurity code on Mac.
You Do Not Remember Old Password, What to Do?
When you do not know your old keychain password, the best solution is to create a new one, or reset the old one. You need admin rights to do this. Here are the steps you need to take to create a new password.
1. Log with your admin username and password.
2. Click on the Apple menu, and then go to System Preferences. Click on Users & Groups.
3. Click the lock and then enter your admin username and password once more.
4. From the list of users, select your username.
5. Click on 'Reset Password'. The system will open a new window. Follow the onscreen instructions that will help you create a new password.
6. Log out from the Apple menu.
7. Log in with your account, using the new password.
You Remember The Password, But You Want A New One
As mentioned previously, every once in a while, you want to change your Mac keychain password. This improves the security of your device. This option works only if you know your old login password.
1. Open the keychain access application.
2. Go to the Edit menu drop bar, and click on 'Change password for keychain login'.
3. You will be asked to enter your old password, and then enter the new password. Just like you are changing password on any email or other account.
Part 3. My Mac Keeps Asking for Login Keychain Password
The keychain password allows you to automatically authenticate applications and services stored in Keychain access. When you create the account, the keychain password is set to match the login password for the account.
But when you change the login password in the User & Groups preference, the keychain password is automatically updated in order to match it. And if it does not match the password for the account, the system will constantly ask for login keychain password. Remember, the keychain password is available only to the account user and not the administrator. If the login password is reset by the administrator, the keychain password is not changed.
If this happens, you need to reset your Keychain password, or create a new one using any of the two guides mentioned in the previous part.
Bnous Tips: How to Find Saved Passwords in iPhone/iPad on Mac
Last but not least, just like keychain, Tenorshare 4uKey - Password Manager is able to find out Wi-Fi password, mail account password, website and app login password, Apple ID and credit card informaiton. Moreover, it allows you to export password to other password managers such as 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane, Keeper and Chrome browser. It can be running on Windows and Mac system. You can't miss this amazing iOS password manager!