Password Manager — Manual Mac

Opening and locking a keychain

The keychain list

When no keychain is open, the Password Manager shows the keychain list ("Select Keychain"). With several keychains, the one you used last is at the top under "Last used", the others follow under "Other keychains". With cloud sync, each keychain also shows where it is stored (see Cloud sync).

Right-click a keychain (or select it and press the space bar) for more options:

  • "Set as Default Keychain" (see below),
  • "Reset unlock with Touch ID",
  • "Show in Finder" shows the keychain file in the Finder,
  • deleting the keychain (see Deleting a keychain).

Opening a keychain

  1. Click the keychain in the list (or select it and press Return).
  2. Enter the master password ("Please enter the keychain's password").
  3. Click "Open".

If the password is wrong, "Invalid Password" appears.

Unlocking with Touch ID

On a Mac with Touch ID, tick "Unlock with Touch ID" when opening. From then on the Password Manager asks for Touch ID instead of the password when you open this keychain. Depending on your Mac's settings, the system prompt may also accept your Apple Watch or your Mac login password. If unlocking fails, the Password Manager asks for the master password.

The option is set per keychain and also applies to AutoFill. To switch it off, right-click the keychain in the list and choose "Reset unlock with Touch ID". In the settings, "Reset biometric unlock" removes it for all keychains at once.

Default keychain

Tick "Set as default keychain" when opening, or right-click the keychain and choose "Set as Default Keychain". The Password Manager then opens this keychain right after starting. The default keychain is marked with a wider coloured bar in the list. You can also choose it in the settings under "Default Keychain" ("None" removes it).

The default keychain is also the keychain that macOS AutoFill uses.

Locking (closing) a keychain

Choose "File" → "Close keychain" (⌘L), or click the lock icon at the far left of the title bar. The keychain is closed and the keychain list appears.

Locking automatically

If you switch to another app or hide the window and come back after a certain time, the Password Manager blurs its window and asks for Touch ID or the master password ("Please re-enter password"). "Unlock" continues where you left off; "Close keychain" closes the keychain.

How long this takes is set in the settings under "Authentication Timeout": "Always verify", a time between 1 and 30 minutes ("After … minutes") or "No timeout". The default is 5 minutes.

Closing the window and quitting

Closing the window (red button or ⌘W) only hides it: the Password Manager keeps running, so AutoFill and the browser extensions keep working, and an open keychain stays open (subject to the automatic locking above). Click the Password Manager icon in the Dock to show the window again. To quit the app completely, choose "Quit" in the app menu (⌘Q).