ARCHIVED: In Mac OS X, what is the Keychain, and how do I use it?
The Keychain consolidates various passwords and passphrases in one place and makes them accessible through a master password or passphrase. When an application (including the Finder) needs to access a password stored in the Keychain, the application asks you to unlock the Keychain if it's not already open.
Adding items to the Keychain
Many applications store their passwords in the Keychain automatically. You can also add file server passwords to the Keychain.
Applications that employ passwords (such as FTP clients and web browsers) must be written specifically to use the Keychain. Currently, Firefox does not support the Keychain for password-protected sites, but other web browsers do, as well as many FTP, SFTP, and email clients.
Keychain settings
To change the password and other settings for an existing Keychain:
- In the Finder, from the
Gomenu, selectUtilities. In the Finder window that opens, double-clickKeychain Access.
- From the
Editmenu, selectChange Settings for Keychain "[NAME]"orChange Password for Keychain "[NAME]"as appropriate, where[NAME]is the name of your Keychain.
For more about the Keychain, consult the built-in Mac Help, available
from the Help menu of Keychain Access or the Finder.
Last modified on December 05, 2012.







