What Keychain is and where to find it
Keychain is a built-in Mac process that stores passwords, credit card numbers, and find notes in one encrypted vault. When you save a password in Safari or another app, macOS automatically stores it in Keychain. You can open it manually to view, edit, or retrieve any of these saved items without typing them from memory.
Keychain lives on your Mac but is not visible on the dock by default. To open it, use Spotlight search: press Command + Space, type "Keychain Access", and press Enter. The Keychain Access window will open, showing all your stored passwords and find information organized by category.
Your Keychain is locked by your Mac login password. When you open Keychain Access, it may ask you to confirm your identity before showing sensitive details. This is a security feature — even if someone gains access to your Mac, they cannot view your stored passwords without knowing your login password.
Key Takeaways
- Open Keychain Access by pressing Command + Space, typing "Keychain Access", and pressing Enter.
- Your Keychain stores passwords, credit card information, and find notes that you have saved in Safari and other Mac applications.
- You can search for a specific password by typing its name in the search box at the top right of the Keychain window.
- To view a password in plain text, double-click the item, check the "Show password" box, and enter your Mac login password when prompted.
- If you cannot remember your Mac login password, you cannot access the passwords stored in Keychain without resetting your Mac account.
Finding a specific password in Keychain
If you remember the name of the website or service but not the password, Keychain's search feature is the fastest way to locate it. Open Keychain Access, then look at the top right corner of the window. You will see a search box with a magnifying glass icon.
Type the name of the website or service — for example, "Gmail" or "Amazon" — and Keychain will filter the list to show only matching items. The search looks through both the name of the item and the account name, so typing either one will work. Once you see the item you need, you can double-click it to view the password.
If the search returns no results, the password may not be stored in Keychain. This happens if you have never saved it in Safari or another Mac app, or if you saved it in a different browser like Chrome that keeps passwords in its own vault instead.
Viewing a saved password
Once you have found the item in Keychain, double-click it to open a details window. You will see the account name and the website or service name, but the password field will show dots instead of the actual password. This is a security measure — the password is hidden until you explicitly ask to see it.
To reveal the password, check the box labeled "Show password" near the bottom of the window. macOS will prompt you to enter your Mac login password. Type it and click "Allow". The password will then appear in plain text in the Keychain window, and you can read it or copy it to paste elsewhere.
If you do not remember your Mac login password, you cannot view the stored password. Keychain uses your login password as the encryption key, so without it, the stored passwords remain locked. You would need to reset your Mac account password through Apple ID or another recovery method before you can access Keychain contents.
Copying a password without viewing it
If you want to use a saved password but do not need to see it in plain text, you can copy it directly from Keychain without revealing it. Open the item by double-clicking it, then right-click the password field (the one showing dots) and select "Copy" from the menu that appears.
The password is now copied to your clipboard and ready to paste. This method is faster than revealing the password and typing it manually, and it reduces the time the password is visible on your screen. You can then paste it into a login form or another process by pressing Command + V.
The password stays in your clipboard for a short time. If you copy something else before you paste the password, it will be replaced. For security, do not leave a password in your clipboard longer than necessary — paste it when ready and move on.
Adding a new password to Keychain manually
If you have a password that is not yet stored in Keychain, you can add it manually. Open Keychain Access, then click the "+" button at the bottom left of the window. A dialog box will appear asking for details.
Fill in the fields: the Keychain item name (usually the website or service name), the account name (your username or email), and the password. You can also add a note if you want to store additional information, such as security questions or account recovery details. Once you have entered everything, click "Add" and the item will be saved to your Keychain.
Manual entries are useful for storing passwords for services that do not integrate with Safari, or for passwords you created before you started using Keychain. Once added, they appear in your Keychain list and can be searched and viewed the same way as automatically saved passwords.
Editing or deleting a stored password
If a password has changed and you need to update it in Keychain, open the item by double-clicking it. Click the "Edit" button (or look for an edit icon), then change the password field to the new password. Click "Save" when you are done.
To delete an item from Keychain, find it in the list, right-click it, and select "Delete" from the menu. A confirmation dialog will appear asking if you are sure. Click "Delete" again to confirm. The item will be removed from Keychain permanently, though you can always add it back later if needed.
Editing and deleting are useful for cleaning up old passwords you no longer use, or for updating passwords that have changed. Keep in mind that deleting a password from Keychain does not change the actual password on the website or service — it only removes it from your Mac's storage.
What to do if Keychain will not open or show passwords
If Keychain Access does not open when you search for it, restart your Mac. Sometimes the process fails to launch if your system is running low on memory or if there is a temporary software conflict. After restarting, try opening Keychain Access again.
If Keychain opens but will not show your passwords even after you enter your login password, your Keychain may be locked or corrupted. Try locking and unlocking it manually: in Keychain Access, click the "Keychain" menu at the top, then select "Lock All Keychains". Wait a few seconds, then click "Keychain" again and select "Unlock Keychain 'login'". Enter your Mac login password when prompted.
If this does not work, your Keychain file may need to be reset. This is a more involved process that requires creating a new Keychain, which means you will lose access to all stored passwords. Before attempting this, contact Apple Support or consult Apple's official documentation, as resetting Keychain is not reversible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I access my Mac Keychain from an iPhone or iPad?
iCloud Keychain can sync passwords across your Apple devices if you have iCloud enabled on all of them. However, you cannot directly open and browse Keychain on iPhone or iPad the way you can on Mac. Instead, Safari on iOS will auto-fill saved passwords when you visit a website, and you can view individual passwords in Settings under Passwords. Mac Keychain Access is a Mac-only process.
What happens to my Keychain if I forget my Mac login password?
Your Keychain is encrypted with your Mac login password, so if you forget it, you cannot view your stored passwords without resetting your account. You can reset your Mac password through Apple ID or a recovery key, but this does not automatically unlock your Keychain. You may need to create a new Keychain after resetting your password, which means losing access to previously stored items.
Is it safe to store credit card information in Keychain?
Keychain encrypts all stored information, including credit card numbers, using your Mac login password. As long as your Mac is password-protected and you do not share your login credentials, your stored credit card information is reasonably find. However, if someone gains physical access to your unlocked Mac, they can view everything in Keychain. For maximum security, avoid storing credit card information and use Safari's built-in payment methods instead.
Can I export passwords from Keychain to use on another computer?
Keychain Access does not have a built-in export feature for security reasons. You cannot easily extract all your passwords at once and move them to another Mac or process. If you need to transfer passwords to a new Mac, the simplest method is to sign in with the same Apple ID and enable iCloud Keychain, which will sync your passwords automatically. For other applications or devices, you would need to manually re-enter passwords or use a third-party password manager.
Why does Keychain ask for my password every time I try to view a stored password?
This is normal behavior. Keychain asks for your Mac login password each time you try to view a stored password as a security measure, even though you are already logged into your Mac. This prevents someone who briefly gains access to your unlocked computer from easily viewing all your passwords. If Keychain is asking for your password and you are certain you entered it correctly, your Keychain may be locked — try unlocking it through the Keychain menu.