Setting Up SSH Keys on macOS with Touch ID

Commenters debated using macOS Touch ID / secure enclave to hold SSH keys. Some praised the approach for convenience and tidiness - maratc and Puts noted it avoids key files and is trivial to set up - and elmcrest and LetMeLogin said password managers like 1Password provide similar integrated SSH key storage. apimade lamented that major platform vendors haven’t provided first‑party developer UX for this. Others cautioned that enclave‑protected keys change the failure model: ggm and vr46 warned about irreversible loss if the secure enclave revokes access or the hardware is lost, urging at least one backup key or alternate access path; jiehong added that services must accept multiple registered keys for this to work.

Opinion split on tradeoffs between hardware tokens, cloud sync, and paper backups. jwr, rustyhancock, and others endorsed YubiKey/Trezor or multiple hardware devices for portability, deterministic recovery, and touch confirmation, arguing these preserve workflow and allow backups. solatic and lmz suggested combining methods (different secure enclaves or a YubiKey backup), while littlecranky67 and others debated physical paper cold‑storage versus hardware wallets. mercutio2 challenged 1Password users by pointing out synced keys are extractable, highlighting the core divide: convenience and integration versus recoverability, portability, and absolute control.