Purge iCloud Keychain in macOS | Start Over Without Losing Web Passwords

[Jim Lahey]

Hello y'all. This could easily turn into a ramble so I'll try to keep it concise.

I have a Mac and iPhone both using iCloud Keychain. I would like to purge the Mac's Login keychain and the iCloud keychain before starting over fresh while also not losing my web form passwords on either device. My plan is thus:

1. Disable iCloud Keychain on iPhone and keep web form passwords on device.
2. Disable iCloud Keychain on Mac and keep web form passwords on device.
3. In macOS - reset default keychains in Keychain Access. Thus wiping Login and iCloud keychains.
4. Wait, say 24 hours.
5. Cross my fingers.
6. Re-enable iCloud Keychain on both devices and hope they repopulate iCloud with the web passwords.

Anyone see any fatal flaws in my plan? I keep a CSV file of my web form passwords exported from macOS onto an encrypted USB drive for disaster recovery events, but I've never had to use it and don't want to find out the hard way that it doesn't work in an emergency. I am fairly certain the logic of my plan is sound, but I've had iCloud destroy data on device in the past due to unexpected behaviour, so thought it sage to run this past the experts before jumping in with both feet.

Thoughts and opinions welcome from anyone interested. Thanks!

ETA: And I've just realized that disabling iCloud Keychain in macOS possibly deletes the iCloud keychain in Keychain Access rather than wiping its entires, but does this mean the data is necessarily wiped from iCloud in and of itself (having already been disabled on iPhone)?

 

[Jim Lahey]

Or Plan B?

1. Keep iCloud Keychain enabled on both devices.
2. Reset default keychains in macOS Keychain Access.
3. Wait for web form passwords to disappear from both devices, thus confirming iCloud Keychain is purged.
4. Import backup CSV file into macOS web form passwords (via System Settings or Safari Settings).
5. Hope they repopulate iCloud.