Print Keychain Passwords

Hi there!

Good question! I believe you can still export Safari passwords, in which many of the keychain passwords are stored via File > Export, (Although I haven’t done that in some time):

Import bookmarks, history, and passwords in Safari on Mac - Apple Support

Although it sounds like you are just wanting a reference, and not a file to be re-imported at another time?

I know the passwords are highly protected.

Can you say if you use iCloud Keychain or not? Or if you just use the local Mac keychain?

I ask because if you use iCloud, you could say disable iCloud Keychain on say your phone and keep a copy just on the phone. Disable iCloud Keychain on your Mac, Then reset your Mac keychain and still be able to reference your passwords from your phone.

Just a thought any more info might help though and others may have more ideas or suggestions, thanks!

To add to the previous suggestions where are very good, this method has worked from me and some others.

It is a very Caveman method.

While in Password Applet or Keychain Utility choose the password until it appears. Command + C to copy and Paste to a text editor of choice and Command + V.

Repeat until all it done and Save the text document with a Password ( to keep unauthorized eyes out of the document).

Print and review.

WARNING!!! This saves passwords in plain text

Using Safari -> File -> Export -> Passwords function seems to only export website saved password details to a CSV text file that Numbers or Excel can open (or a text editor). It may not include App passwords and other saved password types. But this might be the majority of the passwords. Credit: @DiZoE

Using System Preferences -> Passwords click the circled ellipsis button drop down at the bottom of the list of passwords to export all passwords.

Be extremely cautious not to leave this file laying around or place it on any cloud storage, etc. If you use iCloud Desktop and Documents Sync, save it somewhere else and then destroy it when you are done with it. If you do wish to keep it, at least create a small DMG encrypted disk image and place it inside. This file might be backed up on Time Machine as well.

It is recommended to perhaps go one password at a time and use the Password System Preferences screen to fix your compromised passwords to keep them secured. Or if migrating to a 3rd party password manager that you go one account at a time.

Again, one little human error and you can leak these passwords to bad actors in a myriad of ways. Exercise extreme caution when dealing with an unencrypted complete list of all your passwords to everything you saved in macOS.

If you go to System Preferences -> Passwords instead of Keychain not only will it tell you which accounts are at risk but you hover your mouse over the ********* password entries and they will reveal what the password is. At the bottom of the screen is a checkbox to Detect compromised passwords. It will also show you which passwords were re-used. There is also a handy, Change Password on Website button.

That's the best option, you are not going to be able to get a list you can print out for security reasons. You have to unlock each individual keychain entry and reveal the password. But the System Preferences -> Passwords screen make it much easier, you unlock the Passwords screen and you can reveal the passwords with a simple mouse hover or clicking the Edit button will also show the existing password.

You might be able to import the passwords from the keychain into a 3rd party tool and manage them that way. But this is the built-in method Apple provides.

When you export the passwords from the System Preferences -> Passwords -> Ellipsis button near the + and - buttons in the bottom left corner. Exporting results in the creation of a CSV file which is a comma delimited text file. Apple Numbers or Microsoft Excel can open the file and express it as a spreadsheet. You can edit the file, removing duplicates and formatting it anyway you wish, then you can print it.

Thanks for that tip, I just tried it out and it works as described. I don't intend to keep the list so I deleted it (instantly), and as I was in between my scheduled Time Machine backups there were no historic backups of this sensitive file. So I'm suggesting that people generate this password file after a recent TM backup and delete it before the next backup after they've printed it off. What do people think?

Sounds good to me, but you can add a folder exception to Time Machine to ensure it is not backed up and put the exported file in that excluded folder. Or as previously mentioned, create a DMG encrypted disk image and place the file within to protect it.

Thanks :-)

Really do not need this Password to Text as all is in iCloud Keychain.

All good suggestions, I forgot about the Passwords pane, perhaps I should utilize it more.......and I like caveman style, never lets you down! 🙂

👍🙂