How to View Your Apple Keychain Passwords

Evan Gower September 17, 2019

You might not have heard of it, but if you are a macOS or an iOS user, you’ve definitely used the Keychain Passwords feature. It’s the one that asks you to remember your passwords every time you register a new account and to fill the login fields for you when you revisit a website where you have a registered account. It works similarly to Google Chrome’s auto sign-in option, with an important difference – it is a cross-platform app that syncs the passwords and login info between your iOS and macOS devices.

How to View Your Apple Keychain Passwords

You can see the list of your passwords in Keychain any time you desire so.

Keychain Access on macOS

In order to access the list of your Keychain passwords on a macOS device, simply use Spotlight to find the app and open it. Keychain Access is an app that doesn’t merely list your saved passwords. It actually offers extensive login information. Every single item on the list contains info for specific logins. For instance, the column to the left displays the name of each password, so that you know what website/app it’s for. You can see additional info for every password if you double-click on it.

If you click Show Password, you’ll be prompted to authenticate it, and then you’ll be able to see it.

Keychain Access on iOS

To find the app on your iOS device, click to the Settings icon (gear) on the Home screen, navigate to Passwords & Accounts, and tap Website & App Passwords. Authenticate using either your passcode or the Touch ID, and you’ll be able to see all the passwords that are stored on your iOS device. Tap on any item on the list to see more info.

Enabling iCloud Keychain

iCloud Keychain allows you to store your information across multiple devices. This includes login information, as well as other data, such as personal and credit card details. The app is extremely secure and won’t store any of your data unless you explicitly enter it into the app. To enable the iCloud Keychain app, go to Settings, tap Apple ID, and then go to iCloud.

Find Keychain on the list, tap it, and then toggle the corresponding iCloud Keychain switch on. If your device prompts you to enter your Apple ID password, do it. If you’ve already set up your iCloud Keychain password earlier, you’ll be prompted to enter it. If not, your device will ask you to create one. To disable Keychain, just toggle the previously mentioned iCloud Keychain slider off.

Manually Adding Personal Info to iCloud Keychain

Using the autofill settings on Safari is an extremely useful tool that will help you log into any website you want quickly and seamlessly. All the autofill login information, however, is stored on a contact card. In order to make it work, you’ll first have to create it, if you haven’t already. To do this, launch Settings and scroll until you see Safari. Tap it and navigate to AutoFill. In the next menu, select My Info. You’ll see a list of contacts in your phone. Find your own Contact Card and select it.

Manually Adding Credit Card Info to iCloud Keychain

Credit card info takes even more time to fill. Every time you want to buy something, you’ll have to enter a solid amount of information that consists of random numbers and your details. Fortunately, Apple devices offer you to save credit card information to ensure a smooth shopping experience. Be careful who you give access to, however, and make sure that you’ve taken all the security precautions to protect yourself from potential fraud and theft, physical, as well as virtual.

To manually add your credit card info to iCloud Keychain, tap the Settings icon on your desktop, go to Safari, tap AutoFill, and navigate to Saved Credit Cards. Now, tap Add Credit Card, enter your credit card information. Keep in mind that you can use your iOS device’s camera to capture this info, which is very useful and makes the whole experience easier and smoother. Finally, tap Done once you’re done. This will make your credit card info available across your devices, as long as they’re Apple and are tied to the same Apple account.

Deactivating the AutoFill Mode

Whether we’re talking about your login or credit card information, you may want to deactivate the AutoFill mode entirely. This is especially advisable if you tend to let other people access your iPhone or Mac. Naturally, you can do this temporarily and it is a fairly simple and straightforward process.

To do this, launch Settings, go to Safari, then to AutoFill, and toggle the switch next to “Use Contact Info” to disable it. Then, do the same for Credit Cards. To activate these options again, you’ll have to enter your account info. Don’t share your account info with anyone.

Managing Passwords and Information

Apple has made managing the login and credit card info fairly easy and straightforward. It may take some time for you to get used to it, but once you’re there, you’ll be browsing and shopping from any one of your Apple devices like a pro.

Do you have the AutoFill mode enabled on your device? How do you manage your passwords on your Apple devices? Join in on the discussion in the comments section below and feel free to ask a question.