Normally, your login keychain is left unlocked while you are logged in, sparing you from having to keep entering your password to grant access to it. Keychains, including the login one, can also be locked, in which case you will be prompted for the password for that keychain in order to unlock it, should you or any app wish to access it. It is thus normally best to leave the login keychain password set the same as your normal user password. If your login keychain has a different password, then you will be asked to enter that different password once you have logged in. The default password for your login keychain is your normal user login password, which should ensure that you only have to enter that once. If you want to inspect secure information in that keychain, such as a saved password, you will normally be prompted for the password for that keychain. This should be opened when you log in, and left open. You should not, normally, be prompted to enter your password to unlock your keychain.Įach user on a Mac has their own keychain which is routinely opened when they log in – hence it is named, by default, login. When you start your Mac up, you should normally have to enter the password for the username with which you log on, and you are likely, sooner or later, to be prompted to enter the password for your Apple ID, which gives you access to iCloud, the App Store, iTunes Store, Messages, and all the other creature comforts which Apple offers.

Reset my default keychain