YubiKey Smart Card Support For macOS Sierra

yubikey inside macbook

Have you ever wanted to use your YubiKey to protect your Mac? Starting today, PIV-enabled YubiKeys can be used to log in to your Mac and your Keychain on macOS Sierra without complex configurations or software.

Up until the release of Mac OS X Lion (10.7) in July 2011, Apple included native support for login using smart cards. Since that feature was removed, users have found it more challenging to make smart cards work with Mac OS X. The release of macOS Sierra 10.12 marks a new beginning for smart card users, as Apple has taken a step towards support for PIV compatible smart cards without requiring any vendor software or drivers to be installed.

At Yubico we want to make it easy for our customers to use best-of-breed security solutions like smart cards, so we added PIV smart card support to the YubiKey starting with the YubiKey NEO in Fall 2013. Today, PIV smart card support also is available on the YubiKey 4. We’ve also enhanced the YubiKey PIV Manager app running on Sierra with a simple self-provisioning wizard that allows non-enterprise users to easily create macOS-compatible PIV credentials on any PIV-enabled YubiKey.

Enterprises already know that PIV-enabled YubiKeys work great with Microsoft Windows environments, and now they can use the same YubiKey to log in to Windows and macOS.

Macos White YubiKey on Desk

With Apple, smart cards are making a comeback, and we are making sure they do it with YubiKey style. To celebrate this significant milestone, Yubico is offering a limited-edition white YubiKey available only in the Yubico Store.

If you have a Mac that only supports USB-C, you can use a USB-C adapter to join in Apple’s smart card revival.

Watch our video that introduces YubiKey to macOS Sierra.

Talk to our teamTalk to our team

Share this article:


  • CEO Corner: Maintaining stable growth while navigating global uncertaintyAs we officially close out the first quarter of 2025,  I am pleased we saw a quarter with solid growth and profitability along with ongoing demand for phishing-resistant authentication. We continue to see new types of high-profile cyber attacks appearing regularly, and a major reason for the success of phishing attacks is stolen credentials. As […]Read moreCEOCEO CornerEarningsMattias Danielsson
  • Introducing the Yubico Academy: Enabling partners for a phishing-resistant futureAt Yubico, strong partnerships are fundamental to a more secure digital world. Our commitment goes beyond providing leading security keys; it’s about actively fostering the growth of our valued partners through impactful enablement programs. A cornerstone is the Yubico Academy, featuring our comprehensive certification program.  This program enables our partners’ teams to become Yubico experts, […]Read more
  • AI is booming — but proving you’re human matters more than everIf you walked the show floor at the RSA Conference this year, you probably noticed the same thing I did: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere. Agentic AI. AI in threat detection. AI in firewalls. AI in identity management. AI-generated demos. AI everything. The energy around AI was undeniable, and we’re seeing real innovation, efficiency gains […]Read moreAIArtificial IntelligencephishingRSAC
  • Ditching passwords for good: Celebrating the inaugural World Passkey DayHave you ever been stuck in a relationship with someone who constantly lets you down, exposes your secrets, and leaves you vulnerable? Odds are you cut your losses, packed up your things and moved on. Today is the day to do the same with your passwords: say goodbye forever! The reality is a majority of […]Read morepasskeyspasswordlessWorld Passkey Day