Create and manage entire keychains in macOS.
Framework
- Security
Overview
In iOS, apps have access to a single keychain (which logically encompasses the iCloud keychain). This keychain is automatically unlocked when the user unlocks the device and then locked when the device is locked. An app can access only its own keychain items, or those shared with a group to which the app belongs. It can't manage the keychain container itself.
In macOS, however, the system supports an arbitrary number of keychains. You typically rely on the user to manage these with the Keychain Access app and work implicitly with the default keychain, much as you would in iOS. Nevertheless, the keychain services API does provide functions that you can use to manipulate keychains directly. For example, you can create and manage a keychain that is private to your app. On the other hand, robust access control mechanisms typically make this unnecessary for anything other than an app trying to replicate the keychain access utility.