Ubuntu utilizes a system called the “GNOME Keyring” to securely store your saved passwords (for email clients, Wi-Fi networks, and SSH keys). By default, if your user account requires a password to log in, Ubuntu will automatically unlock the Keyring the exact moment you type your login password, assuming that because you are authenticated, you should have access to your saved secrets.
However, if you have configured your Ubuntu system to log in automatically without asking for a password (e.g., a home media server), the Keyring remains locked. As soon as you reach the desktop, the operating system will constantly bombard you with pop-up windows asking you to “Unlock Login Keyring” before any background apps can connect to the internet. If you want to stop this behavior, you must remove the password from the keyring entirely, allowing it to unlock automatically even without a system login password.
How to Stop Ubuntu from Asking to Unlock the Keyring
You must use the Passwords and Keys utility to remove the keyring’s master password.
- Open your application grid and search for the app named Passwords and Keys (also known as Seahorse), and launch it.
- In the left-hand sidebar, under the “Passwords” section, you will see a folder named Login.
- Right-click the Login folder and select Change Password.
- A dialog box will appear asking for your Old Password. Type in your current Ubuntu user password and click Continue.
- You will now be asked to enter a New Password. Leave both fields completely blank.
- Click Continue. A massive warning will appear stating that your passwords will be stored unencrypted. Click Continue to accept this.
Your GNOME Keyring now has no master password. The next time you boot into your automatic-login Ubuntu session, the operating system will quietly unlock the keyring in the background. You will never see the “Unlock Login Keyring” pop-up prompt again.