Keychain Access is Mac’s native application that houses passwords and other essential account details. Therefore, it is imperative that this app functions smoothly, or your entire workflow can go for a toss. Unfortunately, there are times when Keychain Access experiences problems. But there’s nothing to worry about because you can quickly troubleshoot and fix those issues.
Continue reading to learn about the common Keychain problems and how you can fix them.
Accountsd Wants to use the Login Keychain
Accountsd offers services and applications access to the specific usernames and passwords for the applications. When you log in to those apps on your Mac or iPad, accountsd or Keychain will sync the data across your devices to smooth the sign-in process.
But if you see the message that the accountsd wants to use the login Keychain, you need not panic. This might be because accountsd attempted to verify your credentials, but they failed. Learn how to fix this by clicking setapp.com.
The Keychain App is Cluttered
If you are working with several programs and services at once, you might be loading the Keychain’s database with a lot of data. Although you can keep mounting data in your Keychain’s database, authentication problems may arise when many old and new passwords are thrown together.
If you face this problem, you must remove the unused passwords. However, you must be careful before making any modifications.
To declutter your Keychain, head to Application > Utilities > Keychain Access. Look for the items you want to delete and click the Delete option. Double-check the last modification date to ensure you are deleting the right ones.
If you want to save time and effort, you can delete everything. For example, click Reset My Default Keychain, and everything will be deleted.
Keychain has Failed to Sync
Owing to Keychain issues, your Mac may fail to synchronize data and transfers. This may stop specific apps from accessing password-protected materials.
The solution to this is launching System Preferences > go to the Mac pane > choose the Sync tab > uncheck the Synchronize with Mac option > exit System Preferences and then repeat the first and second steps.
Then, recheck the Synchronize with Mac option, and the synchronization will be reactivated.
If you still face the same issue, turn off Keychain synchronization by going to the Sync tab and the Mac System Preferences pane.
You don’t remember the Keychain password
If you have forgotten your Keychain’s password, there’s no straightforward workaround. All you can do is create a new Keychain, which means losing all the data stored in the old one.
When you create a new one, the application will repopulate all the new Keychain, and there will be new authentication prompts when you log into specific services and apps.
If you want to create a new Keychain, choose File > click New Keychain and then follow the prompts on the screen. Then, enter a new password.
Try to remember the password entered, or you’ll run into the same problem again.
Forgotten the iCloud Keychain’s security code
The online equivalent of the regular Keychain application is iCloud Keychain. With this, you can back up all the essential credentials to your iCloud account. Similar to the regular Keychain app, iCloud Keychain’s password cannot be recovered. If you don’t remember it, you must create a new one.
While setting up this account, you will receive a security code. Unfortunately, if you don’t remember the security code, there’s no easy way to retrieve it. Instead, you need to generate a new security code from your iPhone or Mac.
Navigate to System Preferences > iCloud > click on the Options button. Please note that the Options button will not be visible if two-factor authentication is enabled for your Apple ID. The feature must be turned off by going to appleid.apple.com and resetting the security code. Then, you can turn on 2FA.
A prompt will appear on your screen, and here, you must choose Change Security Code and then type in a new code. Using the new code, you can set up iCloud Keychain on your Apple devices.
It is essential to remember this solution, so you don’t get locked out of your iCloud Keychain by entering the wrong security code.
However, if your device cannot generate a new code, you must reset your iCloud Keychain. To do this, go to System Preferences on your Mac and click iCloud. Then, choose the checkbox for Keychain and use your Apple ID password to log in. Next, click the Use Code button in the dialog box that appears, and you will get access to the Forgot Code option. Click on this option and reset the Keychain.
The bottom line
Do not let Keychain problems ruin your day. Instead, keep the workarounds mentioned above in mind and stay a step ahead.
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