macOS processes › Security and privacy
What is coreauthd on Mac?
coreauthd handles authentication prompts like Touch ID, Apple Watch approval and password confirmation when apps or macOS ask you to verify yourself.
What it does
When an app unlocks with Touch ID, or a setting asks you to confirm with your password, the request goes through Apple's LocalAuthentication framework and coreauthd. It works with the secure hardware that checks your fingerprint and gives the app only a yes or no.
Why it gets busy
- An app triggering authentication prompts again and again.
- A prompt left waiting on screen.
Is it safe to quit?
macOS restarts it, and any authentication prompt on screen is cancelled.
How to calm it down
- Finish or cancel any authentication prompt waiting on screen.
- Find the app that keeps asking and update it.
- Restart your Mac if Touch ID prompts stop working.
In SystemWatch
SystemWatch explains coreauthd so the process behind Touch ID prompts doesn't look suspicious, and History shows whether an app triggers it repeatedly.
