FileInfo
extension

P12 File - What is a .p12 file and how do I open it?

Learn about .P12 files and view a list of programs that open them.

Languages

EN

Overview

What is a P12 file? A P12 file contains a digital certificate that uses PKCS#12 (Public Key Cryptography Standard #12) encryption. It is used as a portable format for transferring personal private keys and other sensitive information. P12 files are used by various security and encryption programs.

More Information P12 keys store a private key that encrypts information in such a way that it can be decrypted only by the corresponding public key. Likewise, data encrypted with the public key can be decrypted only by the private key. This helps validate the source of transmitted information.

Popularity3.6/5

60 votes

Quick AppOpen with
VerifiedVerified by FileInfo.com The FileInfo.com team has independently researched the Personal Information Exchange file format and Mac and Windows apps listed on this page. Our goal is 100% accuracy and we only publish information about file types that we have verified. If you would like to suggest any additions or updates to this page, please let us know .

Adobe Acrobat DC 2018 Icon

Breadcrumbs

DeveloperRSA Laboratories
Popularity3.6 | 60 Votes

Previous / Next

‹ .P10.P19 ›

In-Depth

.P12 File Extension

Personal Information Exchange File

DeveloperRSA Laboratories
Popularity
3.6  |  60 Votes
 

What is a P12 file?

A P12 file contains a digital certificate that uses PKCS#12 (Public Key Cryptography Standard #12) encryption. It is used as a portable format for transferring personal private keys and other sensitive information. P12 files are used by various security and encryption programs.

More Information

P12 keys store a private key that encrypts information in such a way that it can be decrypted only by the corresponding public key. Likewise, data encrypted with the public key can be decrypted only by the private key. This helps validate the source of transmitted information.

How to open a P12 file

To install a p12 key on a Windows or Mac PC, simply double-click the file. The Certificate Import Wizard (Windows) or Add Certificates Wizard (Mac) will appear to guide you through installing the key.

You can view the contents of a p12 key by installing OpenSSL, an open-source cryptography toolkit, and entering the command openssl pkcs12 -info -nodes -in yourfilename.p12 at your PC's command line.

Open over 400 file formats with File Viewer Plus . Free Download

Programs that open P12 files

Sort

Pricing

Program Name

Platform

Reset

X

Windows

Microsoft Certificate Manager

Included with OS

Microsoft IIS

Paid

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

Free

Adobe Acrobat DC

Free Trial

Mac

Apple Keychain Access

Included with OS

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

Free

Adobe Acrobat DC

Free Trial

Category: Web Files

Updated: June 30, 2020

FAQ

What is a P12 file?↓
A P12 file contains a digital certificate that uses PKCS#12 (Public Key Cryptography Standard #12) encryption. It is used as a portable format for transferring personal private keys and other sensitive information. P12 files are used by various security and encryption programs.
How do I open a .p12 file?↓
To install a p12 key on a Windows or Mac PC, simply double-click the file. The Certificate Import Wizard (Windows) or Add Certificates Wizard (Mac) will appear to guide you through installing the key.

Related