Password Manager — Manual iPhone, iPad and Android

Transferring a keychain without the cloud

You can also copy a keychain from your PC to your phone or tablet as a file, without any cloud account. Changes are then not synced automatically: to bring them to the other device, transfer the keychain again. For automatic syncing, use cloud sync.

Which files belong to a keychain

On the PC, each keychain has its own folder in Documents\Steganos Password Manager\<keychain name>. A keychain consists of the .spm file, all its .spe files, any .bin files (file attachments) and, if present, a _FileContainer.pak file. Always transfer all of these files together, or a ZIP file containing them.

From the PC to the iPhone or iPad

  1. Copy the keychain files into the app's folder on the device: - with the Finder on a Mac or the Apple Devices app on Windows: connect the device with a cable, select it, open "Files" and drag the files (or the ZIP file) onto "Password Manager"; - or with the Files app: save the files to "On My iPhone" (or "On My iPad") → "Password Manager".
  2. In the app, close any open keychain and open the settings (gear icon at the bottom of the keychain list).
  3. Under "Import & export" → "Keychain File Transfer", tap "Import keychain…" and select the keychain.

After the import, the keychain is in the keychain list, and the copied files are removed from the app's folder.

From the PC to an Android device

  1. Copy the keychain files (or a ZIP file of them) to the device, e.g. via USB into the "Download" folder.
  2. In the app, close any open keychain and open the settings (gear icon at the bottom of the keychain list).
  3. Under "Import & export" → "Keychain File Transfer", tap "Import keychain…".
  4. Select all files of the keychain, or the ZIP file. Tip: touch and hold the first file to select several.

If the keychain already exists on the device

  • If it is the same keychain (for example an earlier transfer of it), the app offers "Merge": the imported files are merged with the existing keychain, and for each entry the newer version wins.
  • If a different keychain with the same name exists, the two cannot be merged. "Replace" removes the existing keychain from the device and uses the imported one instead.

From the device to the PC

  1. In the app, close any open keychain and open the settings.
  2. Under "Import & export" → "Keychain File Transfer", tap "Export keychain…" and select the keychain. - iPhone/iPad: the keychain files are placed in a folder named after the keychain in the app's folder. A previous export of the same keychain is overwritten. Copy the folder to your PC with the Finder, the Apple Devices app or the Files app. - Android: the keychain is saved as one ZIP file in a location you choose.
  3. On the PC, add the keychain in the Password Manager via "File" → "Import" → "Steganos Password Manager Database..." (see the Windows manual).

The exported files are encrypted just like the keychain itself.