How to Export and Import Passwords in Apple Passwords on Mac Using CSV Files

With the release of macOS Sequoia, Apple transformed its longstanding iCloud Keychain credentials manager into a dedicated, standalone Passwords application. While storing website logins, passkeys, verification codes, and Wi-Fi credentials in Apple’s encrypted cloud ecosystem offers effortless autofill across Safari and third-party Mac apps, users frequently need to migrate credentials between password managers or create an offline local backup before switching devices.

The Apple Passwords app includes native tools to export your entire digital vault into an industry-standard Comma-Separated Values (CSV) file, as well as import credentials generated by Chrome, 1Password, Bitwarden, or LastPass. This tutorial covers how to export your saved passwords securely, important precautions when handling unencrypted CSV files, and how to import credentials into your Mac vault seamlessly.

Understanding CSV Passwords Security Risks

Before exporting credentials, it is vital to understand the nature of CSV exports:

• Plaintext Exposure: When you export credentials from Apple Passwords, the generated CSV file contains your usernames, website URLs, and raw passwords in unencrypted plaintext. Anyone who gains access to the file can view all your logins immediately.
• Temporary Storage: Never store an exported CSV file on an unencrypted desktop, shared USB drive, or cloud storage folder (such as Dropbox or Google Drive).
• Immediate Deletion: After completing your migration into a new manager, securely delete the CSV file and empty the Trash bin immediately using secure deletion practices.

How to Export All Passwords to a CSV File on Mac

To extract your complete vault from the macOS Passwords app:

1. Open the Passwords app on your Mac (located in your Applications folder or launched via Spotlight with Cmd + Space).
2. Authenticate using Touch ID or by entering your Mac account login password.
3. Click the File menu in the top menu bar.
4. Select Export All Passwords… from the dropdown list.
5. A warning prompt will appear: “Exporting passwords creates an unencrypted file with all your passwords.” Click the Export Passwords button to acknowledge the security risk.
6. Choose a destination folder (such as your local Downloads folder) and provide a filename for the CSV document.
7. Click Save.
8. Authenticate one final time using your Mac administrator password to authorise the file creation.

The Passwords app will generate a clean CSV file containing structured columns: Title, URL, Username, Password, Notes, and OTPAuth (two-factor authenticator setup keys).

How to Export Specific Selected Passwords Only

If you only need to migrate a handful of work or family accounts rather than exposing your entire personal vault, you can export individual credentials:

1. In the Passwords app, hold down the Command (Cmd) key and click on the specific items you wish to export in the credentials list.
2. Click the File menu.
3. Select Export [Number] Passwords….
4. Confirm the security prompt and save the targeted CSV file to your designated location.

How to Import Passwords into Apple Passwords on Mac

If you are switching to Apple Passwords from Google Chrome, Firefox, 1Password, or Bitwarden, you can import an existing CSV file directly into macOS:

1. Open the Passwords app on your Mac and authenticate with Touch ID.
2. Click the File menu in the menu bar.
3. Select Import Passwords….
4. Navigate to the location of the CSV file exported from your previous password manager, select it, and click Open.
5. Apple Passwords will analyse the file structure, detect matching fields, and display an import preview dialogue.
6. Review the detected credentials count. If credentials in the CSV duplicate existing logins in your vault, the app will offer to merge or update changed passwords.
7. Click Import.

Once imported, your logins will instantly sync via iCloud to your iPhone, iPad, and other paired Apple devices running modern software.

Handling Discrepancies and Unsupported Fields

When migrating credentials between different management tools, keep these format considerations in mind:

• Passkeys Cannot Be Exported via CSV: Modern FIDO2/WebAuthn passkeys rely on private cryptographic hardware keys stored inside the Secure Enclave and cannot be saved as plaintext strings in a CSV file. Passkeys remain secured within Apple Passwords.
• Custom Fields and Attachments: File attachments, credit card notes, and bespoke metadata fields supported by tools like 1Password will not populate in standard CSV columns and should be checked manually.
• Two-Factor Authenticator URIs: Standard otpauth:// format keys are imported cleanly, allowing Apple Passwords to take over generating 6-digit rolling 2FA codes automatically.

Securely Erasing Your Exported CSV File

As soon as you confirm that your passwords have imported successfully into your destination application, delete the temporary file permanently:

1. Right-click the CSV file in Finder and select Move to Trash (or press Cmd + Delete).
2. Right-click the Trash icon in the Dock and select Empty Trash.
3. If working with sensitive corporate accounts, use Terminal to overwrite the file data securely before deletion:

   rm -P ~/Downloads/Passwords.csv