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ALL saved safari passwords gone

R

Renq

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 28, 2022
1
0
Hey,

I changed the user type of an existing user on my Mac from admin to normal user. Apparently, if you do this, all safari passwords get deleted automatically. No idea why, but it does happen, I checked it several times now.

Anyone knows whether passwords which vanished like that can reappear somehow?

Best Regards
 
No idea, never heard of it happening. I'd probably use this time to think about using an actual password manager.
 
MarineBand5524 said:
No idea, never heard of it happening. I'd probably use this time to think about using an actual password manager.
Click to expand...
Keychain IS an actual password manager.

OP, you may be able to get your passwords back by restoring your ~/Library/Keychains folder from a backup made before this happened.
 
zorinlynx said:
Keychain IS an actual password manager.

OP, you may be able to get your passwords back by restoring your ~/Library/Keychains folder from a backup made before this happened.
Click to expand...
yes but at least using 1Password I've never lost anything like this.

I hope the restore will help.
 
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Long, long ago I realized that I needed "my own repository" of the many different passwords I use.

I DO NOT trust the Mac to keep track of them.

I used a database app (iData) to create my own password archive.
For a friend stumbling around in "password hell", I found it's also possible to create a password-protected WP file in Pages, using the tables feature to "house" the sites/passwords.

And of course, the other way is to write them all down in "a black book"...
 
I am on Ventura 13.1, I didnt do anything, ALL my passwords are gone! They should be saved within iCloud, on my iPhone they are still there ...

P.S. This 1password discussion is totally offtopic. Personally I would prefer iCloud Keychain in any case because it just works everywhere cross-device. Also @Fishrrman You do not trust encryption but you save your passwords unencrypted in plaintext in a password protected file, this makes absolutely no sense. Also @Apple_Robert it makes no sense to keep a "backup" when the whole purpose if iCloud Keychain is to make it obsolet to create and remember passwords because keychain does automatically create impossible-to-guess passwords for you, a different one for each website/app, and stores them for you so you dont have to worry about passwords anymore.

EDIT: Restarted and all passwords are back
 
Last edited:
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rebl said:
I am on Ventura 13.1, I didnt do anything, ALL my passwords are gone! They should be saved within iCloud, on my iPhone they are still there ...

P.S. This 1password discussion is totally offtopic. Personally I would prefer iCloud Keychain in any case because it just works everywhere cross-device. Also @Fishrrman You do not trust encryption but you save your passwords unencrypted in plaintext in a password protected file, this makes absolutely no sense. Also @Apple_Robert it makes no sense to keep a "backup" when the whole purpose if iCloud Keychain is to make it obsolet to create and remember passwords because keychain does automatically create impossible-to-guess passwords for you, a different one for each website/app, and stores them for you so you dont have to worry about passwords anymore.

EDIT: Restarted and all passwords are back
Click to expand...
My passwords have dissapeared twice on safari - restart fixes it for a while...be good to know how to stop it doing that!
 
rebl said:
I am on Ventura 13.1, I didnt do anything, ALL my passwords are gone! They should be saved within iCloud, on my iPhone they are still there ...

P.S. This 1password discussion is totally offtopic. Personally I would prefer iCloud Keychain in any case because it just works everywhere cross-device. Also @Fishrrman You do not trust encryption but you save your passwords unencrypted in plaintext in a password protected file, this makes absolutely no sense. Also @Apple_Robert it makes no sense to keep a "backup" when the whole purpose if iCloud Keychain is to make it obsolet to create and remember passwords because keychain does automatically create impossible-to-guess passwords for you, a different one for each website/app, and stores them for you so you dont have to worry about passwords anymore.

EDIT: Restarted and all passwords are back
Click to expand...
I don't use keychain for account security purposes. If my phone (or account) is ever stolen or compromised, I don't want a bad actor having access to information normally found in keychain, like you and so many others use. From a security standpoint, my usage makes a lot of sense.
 
Apple_Robert said:
I don't use keychain for account security purposes. If my phone (or account) is ever stolen or compromised, I don't want a bad actor having access to information normally found in keychain, like you and so many others use. From a security standpoint, my usage makes a lot of sense.
Click to expand...
I trust Keychain with my MacRumors password.

I don't trust Keychain with my PayPal password.
 
I’ve changed my password processes several times over the years. Latest protocol: use both 1Password and KeychainAccess/Safari, plus adding all passwords to a single stickie in the Stickies app. I then print the stickie to a physical yellow sticky note and tape it to the bezel at the bottom of my iMac. I believe in a multiple backup protocol. Have never totally lost a password with these procedures. (NB: kidding of course).
 
SalisburySam said:
use both 1Password and KeychainAccess/Safari, plus adding all passwords to a single stickie in the Stickies app. I then print the stickie to a physical yellow sticky note and tape it to the bezel at the bottom of my iMac. I believe in a multiple backup protocol.
Click to expand...
Multiple backup - yes. But also multiple opportunities for compromised passwords. I believe in just one secure and reliable password storage with a tested procedure for regaining access after a major disaster (fire or theft).
And that is not sticky notes. :)
 
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FYI, I've been having this issue on a new M2 Studio running macOS 13.5. ALL Safari passwords will periodically disappear and become unavailable in Safari, both for autofill on pages and in the app settings. Quitting Safari and restarting it restores the passwords for a while, so at least they are not permanently deleted from iCloud, but they always go away again at some point. I haven't been able to link the disappearances to anything in particular, or any set schedule. Have not had the same problem with Safari on iOS.
 
Renq said:
Hey,

I changed the user type of an existing user on my Mac from admin to normal user. Apparently, if you do this, all safari passwords get deleted automatically. No idea why, but it does happen, I checked it several times now.

Anyone knows whether passwords which vanished like that can reappear somehow?

Best Regards
Click to expand...
I have changed the User BUT lately, ALL passwords in Safari have been disappearing randomly- luckily it's a simple quit the browser and they come back.
 
HiRez said:
FYI, I've been having this issue on a new M2 Studio running macOS 13.5. ALL Safari passwords will periodically disappear and become unavailable in Safari, both for autofill on pages and in the app settings. Quitting Safari and restarting it restores the passwords for a while, so at least they are not permanently deleted from iCloud, but they always go away again at some point. I haven't been able to link the disappearances to anything in particular, or any set schedule. Have not had the same problem with Safari on iOS.
Click to expand...
yep me too. same quitting to get them back.
 
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