What is this apple keychain

Set up iCloud Keychain

With iCloud Keychain, you can keep your passwords and other secure information updated across your devices.

iCloud Keychain remembers things, so that you don’t have to. It auto-fills your information—like your Safari usernames and passwords, credit cards, and Wi-Fi passwords on any device that you approve. Have more questions about iCloud Keychain?

How to turn on iCloud Keychain

When you update your device to the latest iOS or iPadOS, the setup assistant asks you to set up iCloud Keychain. Learn about availability by country or region.

Turn on iCloud Keychain on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

1. Tap Settings, tap [your name], then choose iCloud.
2. Tap Keychain.*
3. Slide to turn on iCloud Keychain. You might be asked for your passcode or Apple ID password.
   

Turn on iCloud Keychain on your Mac

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences.
2. Click Apple ID, then click iCloud in the sidebar. In macOS Mojave or earlier, click iCloud.
3. Select Keychain.*
   
4. If you choose to «Approve Later» when signing into your Apple ID, you need to approve with an old passcode or from another device when prompted. If you’re unable to approve, reset your end-to-end encrypted data when prompted.

*On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 13 or later, or on your Mac with macOS Catalina or later, two-factor authentication is required to turn on iCloud Keychain. If you haven’t set it up yet, you’re prompted to update to two-factor authentication.

If you can’t turn on iCloud Keychain

If you can’t turn on iCloud Keychain after following these steps, make sure you meet the minimum system requirements for iCloud Keychain and that you’re using two-factor authentication.

If you’re not using two-factor authentication, you might be prompted to create an iCloud Security Code—six digits, complex alphanumerics, or randomly generated—to authorize additional devices and verify your identity. If you forgot your code, you might be able to reset it.

Frequently asked questions

Get answers to some of the most common questions about iCloud Keychain.

What information does iCloud Keychain store?

iCloud Keychain stores credit card numbers and expiration dates—without storing or autofilling the security code—and passwords and usernames, Wi-Fi passwords, Internet accounts, and more. Developers can also update their apps to use keychain, if the app is on a device that uses iOS 7.0.3 or later, or OS X Mavericks 10.9 and later. If you don’t see items stored in iCloud Keychain, learn what to do.

How does iCloud Keychain protect my information?

iCloud protects your information with end-to-end encryption, which provides the highest level of data security. Your data is protected with a key that’s made from information unique to your device, and combined with your device passcode, which only you know. No one else can access or read this data, either in transit or storage. Learn more.

What happens when I turn off iCloud Keychain on a device?

When you turn off iCloud Keychain for a device, you’re asked to keep or delete the passwords and credit card information that you saved. If you choose to keep the information, it isn’t deleted or updated when you make changes on other devices. If you don’t choose to keep the information on at least one device, your Keychain data will be deleted from your device and the iCloud servers.

Can Apple recover my iCloud Security Code?

No. If you enter your iCloud Security Code incorrectly too many times, you can’t use that iCloud Keychain. You can contact Apple Support to verify your identity and try again. After several incorrect attempts, your keychain is removed from Apple’s servers, and you need to set it up again.

How do I find my saved passwords?

iCloud Keychain stores your saved passwords so that you can view or change them at any time. Learn how to find your saved passwords on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. You can also find your saved passwords on your Mac.

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

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Manage passwords using keychains on Mac

macOS uses keychains to help you keep track of and protect the passwords, account numbers and other confidential information you use every day on your Mac computers and iOS and iPadOS devices.

You can use the Keychain Access app on your Mac to view and manage your keychains. When you use iCloud Keychain, you can keep your passwords and other secure information updated across your devices.

What is a keychain?

A keychain is an encrypted container that securely stores your account names and passwords for your Mac, apps, servers and websites, and confidential information, such as credit card numbers or bank account PIN numbers.

When you access a website, email account, network server or other password-protected item, you can choose to save the password in your keychain so you don’t have to remember or enter the password each time.

Each user on a Mac has a login keychain. The password for your login keychain matches the password you use to log in to your Mac. If an administrator on your Mac resets your login password, you need to reset your login keychain password.

Keychain Access

You use the Keychain Access app on your Mac to view and manage your login and other keychains, and also the items securely stored in the keychains — for example, keys, certificates, passwords, account information and notes. If you forget a password, you can find it in Keychain Access. Learn more about Keychain Access.

iCloud Keychain

If you use iCloud, you can have iCloud Keychain securely store the website login information and credit card information you use with AutoFill in Safari, and your Wi-Fi network information. iCloud Keychain automatically keeps that information up to date across all your Mac computers and iOS and iPadOS devices. iCloud Keychain also stores login information for the accounts you use in Mail, Contacts, Calendar and Messages so it’s available on all your devices. Learn more about iCloud Keychain.

Tip: When you use passwords and credit cards online, you can let Safari store them in your keychain and automatically fill them in for you. If you also use iCloud Keychain on your Mac and iOS and iPadOS devices, Safari can fill in the stored information on any of your devices. See AutoFill credit card info.

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What Is Apple Keychain & How To Use It

Save and generate new passwords securely

Apple Keychain, also known as iCloud Keychain, is a password manager service for Apple devices provided by Apple itself. You can use it to store and retrieve your website usernames and passwords, app logins, and even credit card details on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices.

By using iCloud Keychain, you don’t need to remember any of your logins since Keychain will auto-fill the logins for you. Also, it syncs your saved information across all your devices using iCloud. This way a password saved on an iPhone can be used on a Mac and vice versa.

What Data Does The iCloud Keychain Store?

The iCloud Keychain stores the following personal and confidential information in a secure manner:

• Your website and apps’ usernames and passwords.
• Your credit card details but without the security code.
• Passwords of all WiFi networks you’ve ever connected to.
• Digital signatures.

The iCloud Keychain asks for your consent while storing certain types of passwords in its database.

How To Use The Apple iCloud Keychain On An iPhone/iPad

To use iCloud Keychain on your iOS-based devices, you need to first enable this feature and then you can save and access its contents.

Enable The iCloud Keychain On An iPhone/iPad

You must be signed-in to the same Apple account on your iPhone that you use on other devices to sync your Keychain contents.

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap your name banner at the top.

1. Select the iCloud option to manage your iCloud account settings.

1. Scroll down and tap the Keychain option.

1. Turn on the iCloud Keychain option.

View The Passwords Stored In Your Keychain On An iPhone/iPad

If you’ve already saved login details in your iCloud Keychain, you can start accessing these details right from your iOS-based device like iPhone or iPad.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap the option that says Passwords & Accounts.

1. Tap the Website & App Passwords option at the top of your screen.

1. Authenticate yourself using either Touch ID or Face ID.

1. You’ll see all the logins you’ve ever saved in your Keychain. Tap on a website in the list to view its logins.
2. You’ll see both username and password for that website on the following screen.

Add Personal Information & Credit Card Details To The Keychain

The iCloud Keychain allows you to manually add information to your Keychain. This way you can store both your personal details as well as your credit card details in this service. You can then access this data on any of your iCloud-enabled devices.

1. Access the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap the Safari option.

1. Tap AutoFill under the General section.

1. Tap the My Info option to add your personal information.

1. Select your contact card to add your personal details to the Keychain.
2. Tap Saved Credit Cards.

1. Confirm your identity using Touch ID or Face ID.

1. Tap Add Credit Card.

1. Enter your credit card details and your card will be added to the Keychain.

How To Use The iCloud Keychain On a Mac

On a Mac, you can use iCloud Keychain to store, retrieve, and even generate passwords for your online accounts. There’s an option to manually add data as well to your Keychain.

Enable The iCloud Keychain On a Mac

You don’t need an app or anything like that to enable the iCloud Keychain on your Mac.

1. Click the Apple logo at the top-left corner of your screen and choose System Preferences.

1. Click iCloud on the following screen.

1. On the right-hand side pane, you’ll see the services used with your iCloud account. Tick-mark the box for Keychain and Keychain will be activated on your Mac.

Access The iCloud Keychain Passwords On a Mac

Your Mac lets you access your Keychain contents using two ways. You can either use a web browser or a built-in app to view your saved usernames and passwords.

Using Keychain Access

1. Click Launchpad in the Dock, search for Keychain Access, and open it.

1. You’ll see all your Keychain’s saved content.

Using Safari

1. Launch Safari on your Mac.

1. Click the Safari menu at the top and select Preferences.

1. Click the Passwords tab.

1. Enter your Mac password and press Enter.

1. You’ll have access to your saved Keychain passwords.

Use The iCloud Keychain Data In Safari On a Mac

Before Safari can auto-fill fields on various websites from your Keychain’s data, you need to enable the Keychain option in this browser on your Mac.

1. Open the Safari browser on your Mac.
2. Click the Safari option at the top and select Preferences.

1. Select the AutoFill tab on the following screen.
2. You’ll see several checkboxes on your screen. Tick-mark the information that you want Safari to auto-fill for you from your iCloud Keychain.

Automatically Generate Passwords With The Keychain In Safari

A lesser-known feature of iCloud Keychain is that it lets you automatically generate strong passwords for your online accounts. This way you don’t need to manually create a password.

The password that this feature creates will be automatically saved in your iCloud Keychain.

1. Access the Safari browser on your Mac.

1. Open the website where you want to create a new account. This could be any website of your choice.
2. Once you’re on the website, click the password field and Safari will auto-suggest a password. Click this password to add it to the password field.

1. If Safari doesn’t offer a password, click the key icon in the password field and select Suggest New Password.

Manually Add a Credit Card To The Keychain

Like your iPhone, you can manually add a credit card to the iCloud Keychain from your Mac.

1. Open Safari on your Mac.
2. Select Safari followed by Preferences from the top of your screen.
3. Choose the AutoFill tab on the following screen.
4. Click Edit next to where it says Credit cards.

1. Click the Add button at the bottom to add a new credit card to your iCloud Keychain.

1. Enter your credit card details and click Done at the bottom. Your card details will be saved in your Keychain.

1. To remove the card, select it and click Remove.

You can use the Apple iCloud Keychain to view your saved WiFi passwords as well.

What’s your favorite password manager for your Apple devices? Is it iCloud Keychain or a third-party tool? Let us know in the comments below.

Mahesh has been obsessed with technology since he got his first gadget a decade or so ago. Over the last few years, he’s written a number of tech articles on various online publications including but not limited to MakeTechEasier and Android AppStorm. Read Mahesh’s Full Bio

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