Your Mac remembers passwords for websites, Wi-Fi networks and apps. But where do you find those passwords, how do you share them with your iPhone, and what do you do when your Mac keeps asking for the keychain password? This article explains how passwords work on your Mac, with the Passwords app, iCloud Keychain and Keychain Access.
Blue Apple repairs MacBooks in Amsterdam. For a repair we never need to know your passwords; more about that at the end.
The Passwords app
Since macOS 15 Sequoia your passwords are in a separate app: Passwords. Open it via Spotlight (Command + Space bar, type "passwords"). You unlock it with Touch ID or your Mac password. There you see:
- Saved passwords for websites and apps.
- Passkeys: signing in without a password.
- Verification codes for two-step sign-in.
- Wi-Fi passwords.
- Warnings about weak or leaked passwords.
On older macOS versions your passwords are in System Settings, Passwords, or in Safari, Settings, Passwords.
iCloud Keychain: your passwords on all your devices
Turn on iCloud Keychain in System Settings, your name, iCloud, Passwords. Then the same passwords are on your iPhone, iPad and other Macs. The passwords are encrypted; not even Apple can read them.
Looking up or sharing a password
Search for the website name in the Passwords app. Click it to see or copy the password. With shared groups you share passwords with family or colleagues. A Wi-Fi password can also be shared with AirDrop.
Importing or exporting passwords
If you come from another browser or password manager, you can import passwords via the File menu in the Passwords app. Exporting is possible too, as a file. Never keep such a file unencrypted for long, because all passwords are readable in it.
The Mac keeps asking for the keychain password
That often happens after your Mac password was changed or reset. The login keychain password is then still the old one. Solutions:
- Enter the old Mac password if you still know it; the keychain is then updated.
- If you do not, you can reset the default keychain in Keychain Access. You lose passwords that were only stored locally; with iCloud Keychain the synced ones come back.
Find Keychain Access via Spotlight. Also see forgot your Mac password.
Mac password, Apple Account and keychain
- Mac password: to log in to your Mac.
- Apple Account password: for iCloud, the App Store and Find My. See Find My Mac.
- Keychain: the vault with all your saved passwords, normally unlocked with your Mac password.
Creating strong passwords
When you create a new account on a website, Safari automatically suggests a strong password and saves it right away. Use it; that way you have a different password for every site without having to remember them. If the Passwords app shows a warning for a password, change it on that website. Where possible, use a passkey instead: it cannot leak or be guessed, and you sign in with Touch ID.
Touch ID for passwords
With Touch ID you fill in saved passwords without typing. If Touch ID does not work, read Touch ID not working.
Your passwords and repairs
For a repair you do not need to give your passwords. After a repair where the Mac has to be erased, you sign in to iCloud yourself again, and your passwords come back through iCloud Keychain. So make sure Keychain is on before having your Mac repaired. More on our page about MacBook repair in Amsterdam.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Passwords app safe?
Yes. Your passwords are encrypted and can only be opened with Touch ID or your Mac password.
Can I use another password manager?
Yes, macOS also supports other managers for autofill.
Where is the Wi-Fi password?
In the Passwords app under Wi-Fi, or in System Settings, Wi-Fi in the network details.
