Apple has a remarkable feature of storing all passwords in a vault, which also acts as a password manager. It is known as Keychain, and all devices from Apple from Macbooks to iPhones include this feature. If you forgot the keychain password on Mac, then the only solution left is to reset it.
Also Read: How to Use iPhone’s Built-in Best Password Manager and Stay Safe?
The Keychain new feature that works as a syncing password manager for Safari on iOS and Macs. It doesn't function with third-party applications unless the apps were designed with iCloud keychain support in mind, which is a lot easier said than done because the iOS makes it hard to copy-paste passwords. The Keychain Access window displays. From the Keychain Access menu, select Preferences. The Preferences window displays. Click Reset My Default Keychain. This removes the login Keychain password and prompts you to create a new one. In the Password field, enter your Active Directory (AD) password (what you log into the computer with.
But What Does the Apple Keychain Store Exactly?
The Apple Keychain is locked, encrypted container used in Macs, iPhones and iPads. The lock can be opened by your Apple administrator password. It contains passwords and other important things like:
- Network Credentials.
- HTTPS Certificates.
- Encryption Keys.
- Secure Notes.
- Usernames and Passwords for all Applications, Services Servers and Websites credentials.
Also Read: Can’t Remember Passwords? Know- How To Setup Autofill Passwords On iPhone!
Here are quick and simple steps on how to reset the keychain password on Mac:
Step 1. Navigate to this path – Finder> Go > Utilities> Keychain Access.
Step 2. The Keychain Access window will open.
Step 3. Click on Preferences to open the window.
Step 4. Under the General tab, click on Reset My Default Keychain.
Step 5. The above step will remove the current Keychain password and prompt you to create a new one.
Step 6. In the new dialog box, enter the system password you logged in your computer with in the password field.
Step 7. Click the checkbox to enable Show Password.
Step 8. Click on OK, and you will receive a prompt stating that your Old Keychain Password has been renamed.
Note: If you do not find the button labelled as Reset My Default Keychain, then navigate to a different path – Edit> Keychain List > Click Show. Make sure the user is selected, and then click Login Keychain. You will see a minus sign that will delete the current password. Restart your Mac and after you have successfully logged in, click the checkbox to Remember this password in the Keychain.
Also Read: How To Know A Wi-Fi Password on Your Mac?
How to View Saved Passwords on Keychain on Your Macintosh Computer?
If you wish to view the passwords stored in the Keychain of your device, then you need to navigate to the Keychain Access window which allows the users to add and edit the keychain entries. Here are simple steps to carry out:
Step 1. Use Spotlight and type Keychain Access.
Step 2. The Apple default app will open listing several keychain entries.
Note: you can always manually call this list by clicking on View and then on Show Keychains.
Step 3. To open a specific entry on the list, double click on it. The details of that particular entry will be displayed in a new window.
Step 4. Now click on Show Password box located on at the bottom of this window.
Step 5. You may have to enter the Administrator password to view the password.
Step 6. The password will appear next to the Show Password box in plain text.
Also Read: How To Bypass Mac Password & Login Automatically?
Your thoughts on How to reset Keychain Password on Mac
A eychain is one of the most useful features provided by Apple. It is even available on the Google Chrome browser, which also offers to remember your passwords for you. Unfortunately, this feature is not available on the Windows operating system by default yet. Mac users can recover lost Wi-Fi passwords or other user accounts and passwords of E-commerce websites by just viewing it in the keychain. Also, if others have access to your Mac machine, then you can delete a few entries from the Keychain Access to keep them private.
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Responses
No matter which method you use to reset administrator password on mac, it won't automatically update the password protecting the account's login keychain. Since the keychain is still protected with the old administrator password, there would be no way to get back into it unless you could update keychain password or create new keychain.
Probably you are just prompted to do that at startup after Mac admin password reset, such as on Yosemite, or constantly asked to enter the keychain password after Mac login. Regardless of which happens, resetting keychain password would help you access Keychain again.
Method 1: Reset Keychain login password in Keychain Access
After you log into Mac with new administrator password, follow the steps below.
1. Open Keychain Access from Finder> Applications Utilities, and choose Keychain AccessPreferences from top menu.
2. In newer versions of Mac OS X, such as on Yosemite, you will see a button Reset My Default Keychain under the General pane.
3. Click it and enter the new login password in Password field to create new keychain.
Note: If you have no such button, choose EditKeychain List (Command + Option + L), select the login keychain, and click the minus button to delete it.
4. Quit Keychain Access and restart Mac. A new login keychain will recollecting and storing the passwords for Wi-Fi networks, email accounts, Web sites, and other logins as they occur.
Method 2: Reset Keychain password with command line in single user mode
If you cannot work with Keychain Access because of something like Messages Agent constantly asking for the forgotten login keychain password, you can use command line to reset Keychain password in single user mode.
1. Restart Mac and hold on Command + S to enter single user mode.
2. After you are prompted to enter a command-line after numerous lines of status messages, type this command to mount the root Mac OS X drive as writable.
mount -uw /
3. Delete that account's login keychain.
rm /Users/shortname/Library/Keychains/login.keychain
Note: If you are not sure the shortname, please confirm it with command 'ls /Users' at first.
I Can't Remember My Keychain Password For Mac
4. Reboot Mac by command 'reboot'.
After Mac starts, you should have created a new keychain on Mac.
Update keychain password if you still remember the old one:
1. Click Update Keychain Password and enter the old password at startup, or continue login and enter old password when you are asked.
2. Open Keychain Access and right click on login, and choose the option Change Password for Keychain 'Login' from pop-up menu.
3. Enter the old password in 'Current Password' field and new password in 'New Password' box. Verify it and click OK to successfully change keychain password.
Keychain Password Mac Outlook
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