Glossary/macOS Keychain & security

Keychain Access

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Keychain Access is the graphical app, included with every Mac in the Utilities folder, for browsing, adding, and removing items stored in the macOS Keychain. It shows passwords, certificates, keys, and notes, and lets you reveal a stored password after you authenticate.

Why it matters

Keychain Access is general purpose: it was not designed around API keys specifically, so items you add manually show up with generic fields rather than anything tailored to a key's name, project, or expiry.

Do I need to use Keychain Access if I have Claude Keychain?

No, Claude Keychain covers adding, viewing, and deleting the keys it manages, though the entries remain visible in Keychain Access too.

Can I delete a Claude Keychain entry from Keychain Access directly?

You can, but it is safer to delete it from Claude Keychain so its local index of names stays in sync.

Related

Looking for a different way to manage your keys? See the best Claude Code API key manager alternatives, or browse every term in the glossary.