Setting Up SSH Keys on macOS with Touch ID

> No key files (like ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub and friends) littering the file system; and there’s no risk of mistakenly deleting them either.

Or backing them up, or copying them to your new computer. You're just one spilled coffee cup away from losing the key.

▲

cedws 9 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

You aren't supposed to be moving SSH keys. They should stay on the machine they were generated on. The less accessible they are the better.

I really wouldn't rely on an SSH key as the sole way of accessing a machine.

▲

jwr 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

That was my first thought, too — this might work as one of additional methods of logging in, but not as the only one.

I have been using YubiKeys for many years now, following this guide: https://github.com/drduh/YubiKey-Guide

This means I can have secure private keys for ssh and gpg (cue the crowd saying gpg is insecure without offering good modern alternatives), which I can also back up. And I can set up multiple YubiKeys, which I do.

An additional advantage of this solution is that you can set your YubiKey to require a touch confirmation before performing an operation. This makes it much harder for runaway AI agents to wreak havoc on your servers: there is a physical limitation, which I really like.

	▲	LeBit 34 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		I too use (multiple) yubikey to hold my private gpg keys. But I am not sure I will stick with gpg though. Even with my system to extend their expiration or renew them. I have found handling them to be a pain. I use them for 2 things: encrypt/decrypt gopass secrets and sign git commits. Gopass now has more than decent age support. A yubikey can hold an age key. Most git forges accept a ssh key to sign commits. A yubikey can hold a ssh key. So, for my needs, I think I could leave the operational complexities (to me) of gpg and go for alternatives that are simpler.

▲

citrin_ru 17 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

You could generate an additional backup key pair, add to authorized_keys on remote hosts in additional to the stored in enclave key, test then backup and wipe from your macbook (to reduce compromise risk).

▲

nmattia an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I very much prefer to have one key per device! That allows for fine grained access control. In general I wouldn’t export private keys unless really necessary.

▲

rustyhancock 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Yes I don't see how that's helpful.

It's quite opposite of what I'd want.

If you use a trezor hardware wallet (and probably other hardware wallets) you can deterministically regenerate -sk keys.

I use trezors various agents for AGE, FIDO2/passkey, ssh[0].

But you still need the backup some bits of material like stubs for some FIDO keys (not secret material) that need importing into fresh trezor devices.

It's approaching the never lose a key again levels.

Of course, I won't pretend there isn't an obvious issue. What if you lose the seed words or someone gains access. What if the software becomes incompatible, or trezor devices become expensive/change etc.

[0] https://github.com/romanz/trezor-agent

▲

littlecranky67 2 hours ago | parent [-]

cough ledger, cough coldcard cough, supply chain attacks cough cough

	▲	rustyhancock 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		This attack on ledger was particularly impressive, with LTE modules and eSIMs used to exfiltrate secret material[0]. But ledger is one I wouldn't recommend even without these issues, they've previously stockpiled customer data which leaked and lead sustained targeted attacks on their customers. They've got some sort of method of getting the secret keys out of the secure elements - which makes you think what's the point at all? Oh so they can sell you a backup service subscription for your keys. Which were meant to never leave your device. [0] https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2026/10/13/ledger-says-spy-chi...

▲

jiehong 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Yes, this only works if you can register more than 1 ssh keys on the services you want.

▲

mschuster91 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Which you can do pretty much anywhere already? I'm at least not aware of any major service not allowing you to register multiple SSH public keys.

With the obvious exception being, for whatever reason, AWS that only allows specifying ONE SINGLE KEYPAIR when creating new EC2 VMs. Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!

	▲	maratc 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		When I was checking out their git hosting service (AWS CodeCommit), they only allowed for rsa keys (and not ed25519, for example.)

▲

QGQBGdeZREunxLe 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Sounds complicated. Just install https://secretive.dev/

	▲	Puts 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		It's literately TWO shell commands? One for generating the key in the secure enclave and one for adding it to ssh-agent?

▲

apimade 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Crazy that this particular feature we’ve all been waiting for hasn’t received first-party support by any DevEx company.

You know, the companies that say security is their number one priority, or companies that scream “developers, developers, developers”. How Google and Apple didn’t come up with something together eludes me, but then again, we have entire ecosystems and categories deployed in the areas they don’t service (auth, application control, etc).

▲

gurjeet 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Just in case it helps someone, a while ago I wrote a blog post with exact CLI invocations to set up a local-password-store protected by TouchID. If you wish, the encrypted password-store can be backed up and tracked with a Git.

> PasswordStore (`pass`) + GnuPG (`gpg`) + TouchID

> https://gurjeet.singh.im/blog/passwordstore+gnupg+touchid

▲

ggm 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

If you do this, have at least one backup key (if need be on paper) or a guaranteed alternate path into the hosts you depend on this key to access. Because if the secure enclave is as good as we're told, if you lose access to ->THIS<- secure enclave, its game over for the keys.

Secure enclave protecting Keychain, the keychain is backed up. Not the contents of the enclave.

Too many failed access attempts? poof the key is gone. Could be as low as 10.

(happy to be corrected. This is what I gather from a quick read-around. I was a bit surprised the site didn't seem to discuss this)

▲

solatic 3 hours ago | parent [-]

Your backup key should also be in a secure enclave, just in a different secure enclave. Both keys should be accepted by the system.

The truly paranoid can multiple types of secure enclaves - TouchID for primary, a YubiKey for backup.

> If need be on paper

Your security is only as strong as its weakest link. Paper has a way of getting photographed, and the privacy of your key depends on your OCR software, unless you really want to painstakingly copy it in by hand, and even then, it turns into a file-based key on the filesystem, with all its attendant risks.

▲

littlecranky67 3 hours ago | parent [-]

No, paper for cold storage has the advantage of requiring physical access. Not some virus or hacker breaking into your computer from hundreds of miles away. If you are living in the US, gun ownership provides additional security over this piece of paper at home.

	▲	gmac 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Right, because shooting someone for the sake of a piece of paper is usually a proportionate response …

▲

XYen0n 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The version of OpenSSH included with macOS does not support FIDO-related features and instead uses the relevant parameters to access the macOS Keychain, so I always have to install OpenSSH from nixpkgs myself.

	▲	nmattia an hour ago \| parent [-]
		It’s a new feature! In Tahoe & Golden Gate at the very least FIDO is supported by the SSH agent

▲

elmcrest 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

happy 1Password user since years, provides this too and you'll have you ssh keys in the 1P keychain (yes, not open source, I know - only flaw imho)

▲

lmz 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

That would make it extractable and syncable to other hosts. That's fine if that's what you want but it's an important distinction.

▲

elmcrest 4 hours ago | parent [-]

yes, that's exactly what I want :) (and the private key is only living inside 1Password and isn't extractable from there)

	▲	cromka 2 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Typically you want to generate one key per host. That's why, by default, a new key bears a user@host identifier. If it gets compromised, you need to revoke this one key only and still maintain access from, presumably, other systems of yours.
	▲	lmz 3 hours ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		https://www.1password.dev/ssh/manage-keys#export-an-ssh-key
	▲	mercutio2 3 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		You’re mistaken. 1Password syncs keys. Therefore, they’re extractable.

▲

LetMeLogin 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I am doing the same, such a great underrated feature that many people do not know of.

▲

pentakkusu an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

No way, I just wondered if there is a way to do this myself... Having to type in my password was getting tedious for my lazy self.

▲

vr46 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

As cool as this is, this does limit the functionality of your keys, because not everything can access the secure enclave in the way it wants to - and as others point out, this is a one-way street and locks your mac hardware into the flow.

I went with this system for some months but it ultimately broke my workflow. I switched to a system of my own devising, in which my local security key decrypts the SSH keys I require.