How to Reset Keychain Password on Mac

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Your Mac’s Keychain is like a secure vault — it stores passwords, certificates, and encrypted notes.
But if your login password changes and Keychain doesn’t update, you might see repeated password prompts or get locked out of saved credentials.

This guide covers how to reset your Keychain password safely, and what happens to your saved data.

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Why Keychain Passwords Cause Problems

The Keychain password is linked to your macOS user account password.
If they don’t match — for example, after changing your login password outside System Settings — macOS can’t unlock the Keychain.

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Method 1: Update Keychain Password

1. Open Keychain Access (via Spotlight).
2. From the Edit menu, choose Change Password for Keychain “login”.
3. Enter your old and new passwords.

If you know your old password, this keeps your saved credentials intact.

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Method 2: Create a New Keychain

If you can’t remember the old password:

1. Go to Applications > Utilities > Keychain Access.
2. From the Keychain Access menu, choose Preferences.
3. Click Reset My Default Keychain.
4. Enter your current macOS password.

This creates a new, empty Keychain — your old saved passwords will be lost.

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Method 3: Delete Corrupted Keychain Files

Sometimes Keychain files become corrupted:

1. Open Finder and press Shift + Command + G.
2. Go to ~/Library/Keychains/.
3. Move suspicious or old folders to the desktop, then restart.

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Extra Security Tip

Use iCloud Keychain to sync passwords — if you reset locally, they’ll re-download from iCloud.

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Troubleshooting

• Still seeing prompts? Sign out of iCloud and back in.
• Keychain Access won’t open? Try Safe Mode or Disk Utility’s First Aid.