iCloud Keychain doesn't sync across devices and I can't turn it off

[dliwski]

Hello!

After setting up my new iPhone I have noticed that all my passwords are gone. I still have access to them on my Mac and iPad, but unfortunately keychain doesn't sync anymore. I tried to turn it off on every single device, but it goes back on immediately after and nothing happens. Restoring my iPhone to factory settings didn't solve the problem. I have a backup of all my passwords, so actually I just want to know how to make iCloud keychain work and sync again, even if I would have to re-add all passwords.

 

[cmcbhi]

II have an identical problem.
My passwords/Keychain will not sync across my devices.
I can AirDrop them to those devices but they do not sync automatically.

 

[dliwski]

II have an identical problem.
My passwords/Keychain will not sync across my devices.
I can AirDrop them to those devices but they do not sync automatically.

Did you try to disable keychain?

 

[cmcbhi]

I tried, but I couldn’t do it…….
(with apologies)

 

[dliwski]

So it seems we have exactly the same problem.

 

[dliwski]

What devices you have? Do you have a Mac? What version of macOS and iOS/iPadOS you use?

 

[cmcbhi]

2021 iMac Latest Montere
2 iPhone 13 minis iOS 15.1
2 2017 iPad Pros iPad OS 15.1

Lack of Keychain sync preceded iMac and iPhones.
Apple was completely UNhelpful.
I was upgraded to Leven 2 whatever that is and was told that “the engineers” would ’get back to me”.
I havent heard anything.

 

[dliwski]

I was hoping that you have Big Sur so maybe Monterey could bring a fix. I think we have to give up...

 

[cmcbhi]

Or switch to 1Password

 

[dliwski]

Or switch to 1Password

I did it already, but I miss keychain to be honest. And I have some random problems with HomeKit since keychain is broken...

 

[cmcbhi]

The iMac offers the option to wipe out/reset keychain access but I haven’t had the nerve to do it yet.
Neither Apple nor anyone here seems interested in helping, however.

 

[dliwski]

I have found a solution.

1. Log in to Apple ID on your Mac and change your password. Make sure to check "log out from every device and browser".
2. Log in to iCloud on every device, starting with the device that has most up-to-date passwords. In my case it was Mac, then iPad and iPhone in the end.

Everything went back to normal. Sync is working, all passwords are back and HomeKit is working fine as well.

 

[inter4ever]

Thank you for posting this! Changing the password and forcing logout worked for me. Logging out of iCloud before that on each device didn't work, and caused me to lose everything in my wallet including my ID and transit pass, which is annoying.

 

[thanar]

Well, I think I will give changing the password a try, as well. I am facing a similar issue:

I have three devices on my iCloud account. An iMac, a MacBook, and an iPhone. All devices are on updated software, the iPhone is on the latest iOS, the MacBook is on Catalina, while the older iMac is on High Sierra, since that's the latest supported version.

I am facing an issue with iCloud keychain syncing to the iPhone, which is absurd. I would expect iCloud issues with the older device (the iMac on High Sierra), but iCloud syncing works perfectly between the iMac and the MacBook. However, not on the iPhone. Whenever I create a new password for a website or any other service on the MacBook, it gets transferred over to the iMac; but not to the iPhone.

EVERYTHING else iCloud seems to be working fine on the iPhone. Notes, Calendars, Contacts, messages, everything else syncs just fine between ALL devices. Keychain passwords do not.

I have tried numerous tricks, disabling / enabling Keychain sync from iCloud settings on the iPhone, even completely disconnecting the iPhone from my iCloud account and reconnecting again. Nothing seems to be working.

Apple Support could provide no real solution, they insist that I should first update the MacBook to Monterey (since it's updatable) and then take it from there. This is not an acceptable solution, since the device that's been facing the issues is clearly the iOS device and not the Macs.

Any ideas?

 

[Saint_Blaise]

I had the same issue. I had to call Apple support. A tech eventually led me through a very specific process that got everything working. I had to log out and then sign in a very specific manner. I think it had to do with a PIN that was used to access an old version of iCloud.

 

[legendthai]

Guys this post is very USEFUL (Billion times more than Apple support). Even in 2023 people still have this problem, me this time. I called Apple support, upgrade iOS, Restore my new iPhone multiple time but the problem is present.

UNTILL I found this post. Damn!!!

Thanks guys, thanks everyone in this post

 

[FlyingPineapple]

December 2023 and I just ran into the syncing problem described above. Trawled through loads of useless "fixes" by Apple support and others...until I came here. Your answer worked for me, even though all three devices were doing their heads in with the changes..All is now synced, thank you so much for the solution. Apple Support take note !