Keychain (Mac OS) - Locking and Unlocking

Locking and Unlocking

The default keychain file is the login keychain, typically unlocked on login by the user's login password, although the password for this keychain can instead be different from a user’s login password, adding security at the expense of some convenience. The Keychain Access application does not permit setting an empty password on a keychain.

The keychain may be set to be automatically "locked" if the computer has been idle for a time, and can be locked manually from the Keychain Access application. When locked, the password has to be re-entered next time the keychain is accessed, to unlock it. Overwriting the file in ~/Library/Keychains/ with a new one (e.g. as part of a restore operation) also causes the keychain to lock and a password is required at next access.

Read more about this topic:  Keychain (Mac OS)

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