Switching from a third-party password manager to iCloud Keychain couldn’t be easier, thanks to your Mac.
Most of the Apple users prefer iCloud Keychain to manage all their passwords. It makes entering different passwords on various websites much easier.
However, if you currently rely on a third-party password manager but want to switch to iCloud Keychain, you may want to move all of your existing passwords to make the migration easier.
Next, we’ll cover how to import passwords to iCloud Keychain to ensure you don’t lose any passwords. The procedure is very simple as long as you have access to a Mac.
What is iCloud Keychain?
iCloud Keychain is Apple’s secure password manager built into macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. It allows you to store your passwords securely so you can sign in to websites, apps, and Wi-Fi networks quickly and easily.
To import all of your existing passwords into iCloud Keychain, you’ll first need to export them from your current password manager.
Export your current passwords from the password manager
The first step in migrating to iCloud Keychain is to export all of your current passwords to a CSV file. Most password managers have this option and will export all saved passwords to a csv-file which you can then import into iCloud Keychain.
You can also choose to export passwords saved in a specific browser (such as Google Chrome) as a CSV file to import into iCloud Keychain. You will find this option in Google Chrome at Settings > Autocomplete > password manager.
Click the three dots next to Saved Passwords and you will see a export passwords option. Click on it.
Now your browser will download a CSV file containing all your saved passwords. The next step is to import these passwords to iCloud Keychain.
Import passwords to iCloud Keychain
You can import a CSV file containing passwords directly into iCloud Keychain on your Mac. Here’s what to do:
- Open System preferences on your Mac.
- Click on passwordsand authenticate using Touch ID or your password to gain access.
- Click on the three points at the bottom and select import passwords.
- Select the CSV file that you previously downloaded to your computer. This should add all your passwords to iCloud Keychain.
That is all! You have successfully imported your existing passwords to iCloud Keychain.
if you enable Detect compromised passwords, your Mac can securely monitor your passwords and check if any are compromised or breached in a data leak. If there is a compromised password, you will receive a notification and then you can change the password. You can also enable Detect compromised passwords on your iPhone.
The main advantage of using iCloud Keychain is that it keeps all your different passwords safely stored in one central location. You can quickly enter your passwords no matter what app/browser you use. If you have another Apple device synced with iCloud, you can also choose to sync these passwords across your devices. This makes password management even easier.
Remember that the CSV file is a plain text file and is not encrypted, which means that anyone who can access the file can easily see all of your passwords. So, don’t forget to delete the CSV file from your Mac when you’re done. To permanently remove it from your system, open Trash and click Finder > Secure Empty Trash from the menu bar.
Use iCloud Keychain for all your passwords
Using iCloud Keychain to manage your passwords is easy. Your passwords are securely stored for use across all your Apple devices, making it easy to enter passwords. You also don’t have to worry about remembering different passwords for different websites.
Keychain is just one of the many handy features iCloud offers. So, consider enabling iCloud sync for other features like Notes, Reminders, Calendar, etc. for a seamless experience on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
