Keychain is the macOS password management system. The Keychain system stores passwords and secrets and other types of sensitive resources, such as certificates, keys, and notes, securely in your Mac in a file encrypted with a robust algorithm. In this section, we will explore the types of keychains macOS uses, how they work, and how to manage them. More specifically, we will see the following:
- Types of keychains
- How the default keychain works with iCloud
- Managing keychains
Let's start by exploring the types of keychains used by macOS.
Types of keychains
There are several types of keychains in macOS, and they can be classified into three groups:
- Default keychains
- System keychains
- Other keychains
Let's explore default keychains first.
Default keychains
All standard and administrative users have a login and a Local keychain, which by default, use the same password as your local account. These two keychains unlock by default...