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Keychain Access's "Show Password" requires my login password EVERY time for EVERY item

I am all for security but I am fed up with KeyChain Access's officious security theatre.


It is incredibly frustrating how EVERY time I need to look up an item's password in KeyChain Access, it makes me type in a password for EACH AND EVERY item. Even when the login and the System keychains are unlocked, I have to type my login password AGAIN FOR EACH ITEM to unlock and see a password (for a web site).


Even that has become inconsistent with Mavericks. Previously once I had gone through the password typing and remembered to manually click Always Show, I would generally be able to at least see the password for that site. Now the Always Show button does not even appear. In some entries the KeyChain Access app makes me type just a password, in other cases it asks for a user name and my password.


I am sure I am not the only one experiencing this torture where "Security" becomes so painful it is tempting to not use it at all. Apple is the ONLY password manager that abuses us like this! EVERY other password manager asks for the unlock credentials ONCE, and then REMAINS UNLOCKED until YOU tell it to relock (either manually, or according to your rule set--e.g. "after X minutes", or "when screen locks", etc.) Firefox's Lockwise is a perfect example of how a password manager SHOULD work. Once you unlock it, ALL of your information is clearly visible in a straight list, displayed compactly and ready for export any way you wish (all, one, part of one, etc)


Any functional solutions to allow ALL passwords in Keychain Access to be viewed with ONE entry of my login password would be appreciated. Alternately, is there a way to just EXPORT ALL my data from Apple's KeyChain into a password manager that won't PUNISH me for sticking with Apple? ;-p

iMac 21.5″ 4K, macOS 12.6

Posted on Oct 21, 2022 9:14 AM

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Posted on Oct 21, 2022 9:33 AM

Well, "Passwords" is the solution, ain't it?! Don't use KeyChain Access!! Use System Preferences/Passwords!! SMH


How to export iCloud Keychain passwords on a Mac

  1. Head to the menu bar → click the Apple logo → System Preferences.
  2. Click Passwords and open by authenticating using your Mac password or Touch ID.

From here, you can already choose to export your passwords. Choose your preferred option.



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Question marked as Best reply

Oct 21, 2022 9:33 AM in response to LEcaptain

Well, "Passwords" is the solution, ain't it?! Don't use KeyChain Access!! Use System Preferences/Passwords!! SMH


How to export iCloud Keychain passwords on a Mac

  1. Head to the menu bar → click the Apple logo → System Preferences.
  2. Click Passwords and open by authenticating using your Mac password or Touch ID.

From here, you can already choose to export your passwords. Choose your preferred option.



Oct 22, 2022 5:31 AM in response to BDAqua

Yes, that’s what I already said; but they do NOT give you access to Apple Keychain! Anyway, if you’d read my reply to my own question you’d see that I found *the solution* to accessing Apple’s Keychain all in one go, and even exporting it all to a CSV file—Keychain Access program doesn’t do it, but System Preferences/Passwords does!


Apple needs to provide an option to close a question from further comments when it’s been answered correctly.

Keychain Access's "Show Password" requires my login password EVERY time for EVERY item

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