Mac Keeps Asking For Keychain Password After Changing Login Password

macOS KB-1360

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: Mac Keeps Asking For Keychain Password After Changing Login Password. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

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Common Causes

When you change your macOS user account password, your system may begin repeatedly asking for your keychain password. This happens because the login keychain is still protected by your previous account password and is no longer in sync with your new login credentials. Until the keychain password is updated or reset, macOS and your applications will continue to prompt you for access.

Quick Fix Steps

Open Keychain Access from Applications > Utilities.
In the sidebar, select the login keychain.
Right-click login and choose Change Password for Keychain "login".
Enter your old account password, then enter your new account password twice to confirm.
Click OK and restart your Mac.

Detailed Instructions

Reset the Login Keychain Password

Click the Finder icon in the Dock.
From the menu bar, select Go > Utilities.
Double-click Keychain Access.
In the left sidebar under Keychains, click login.
Right-click (or Control-click) login and select Change Password for Keychain "login".
In the dialog that appears, enter your previous macOS account password in the Current Password field.
Enter your current macOS account password in the New Password and Verify fields.
Click OK.
Close Keychain Access and restart your Mac to ensure all applications sync with the updated keychain.

Create a New Login Keychain (If You Forgot Your Old Password)

If you no longer remember your previous account password, you cannot unlock the old keychain. You will need to create a new login keychain. Note that this will remove any saved website passwords, Wi-Fi passwords, and application credentials stored in the old keychain.

Open Keychain Access from Applications > Utilities.
From the menu bar, select Keychain Access > Settings (on older macOS versions, this may be Preferences).
Click the Reset My Default Keychain button.
Enter your current macOS account password when prompted and click OK.
Confirm that you want to create a new empty login keychain.
Restart your Mac.

Troubleshooting

Keychain Access Prompts Continue After Reset

Ensure you restarted your Mac after changing the keychain password. Some applications cache the old keychain state until a reboot.
Check that you are entering your current macOS account password, not an old or Apple ID password.
If you use iCloud Keychain, sign out of your Apple ID in System Settings > [Your Name], restart, then sign back in to resynchronize your keychain data.

Application-Specific Password Prompts

Some email, calendar, or VPN applications store their own separate keychain entries. You may need to re-enter passwords for those applications individually after the keychain reset.
If a specific application continues to prompt, remove and re-add the account within that application to force it to create a new keychain entry.

Tip: Your keychain password should match your macOS login password. Changing your account password through System Settings > Users & Groups usually updates the keychain automatically, but if the change was made remotely or via a directory service, the keychain may fall out of sync.

Warning: Resetting your default keychain deletes all saved passwords in that keychain, including website logins, Wi-Fi network passwords, and secure notes. Only proceed with a reset if you cannot remember your previous password.

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