PFX (Personal Information Exchange) file
File type: Encoded and encrypted file
A p12 file extension identifies a PFX (Personal Information Exchange) file.
The file is a password-protected package for certificates and associated private keys. It is used by Microsoft Certificate Lifecycle Manager on Windows and Keychain Access on macOS.
Found 2 different file type records with the same p12 filename suffix.
File type category:
Encoded and encrypted file
Date updated: October 6, 2026
PFX is the common name for the PKCS #12 format. A p12 file can contain a digital certificate, its private key, and related certificates that form a certificate chain. These files require a password to be opened and can identify or authenticate a person, computer, device, or web server.
Microsoft Certificate Lifecycle Manager uses PFX files when managing certificates on Microsoft Windows. On Apple macOS and Mac OS X, Keychain Access can import and export certificates and private keys in this format. PFX files can also be used for digital identities in S/MIME email.
The format remains widely used for transferring or backing up certificates together with their private keys. Common MIME types include application/x-pkcs12 and application/pkcs-12.
On Windows, double-click the p12 file or right-click it and choose "Install PFX." Follow the certificate import wizard and provide the file password when prompted.
On macOS, open Keychain Access and import the file, or double-click it to start the import. The password may be required before the certificate and private key can be added to a keychain.
A PFX file is a certificate-and-key package rather than a document, so it usually does not need conversion. To use its contents in another supported certificate format, import it into Microsoft Certificate Lifecycle Manager or Keychain Access and export the certificate or private key in the required format.
Software applications that handle other tasks involving p12 files:
Microsoft Windows
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
File type category:
GIS, GPS navigation and map file
Date updated: October 5, 2026
HERE Maps, developed by HERE Technologies, is a GPS navigation and mapping application available for Google Android and other operating systems. The application uses p12 files as packages of map data.
A p12 file belongs to the application's internal data rather than being a general-purpose map exchange file. HERE Maps manages the package and uses its contents for map display and navigation, including offline use where supported.
The format is application-specific and is not intended to be edited directly. Its continued use depends on the version and platform of HERE Maps installed.
Open the file with HERE Maps on an Android device. The application normally creates and reads these packages itself, so a p12 file should be left in the location used by the application rather than opened from a desktop file manager.
A standard text editor, image viewer, or general GIS program cannot normally open this file as a usable map.
The HERE Maps p12 format is an internal map data package rather than a standard GIS interchange format, so it is not intended for conversion with general-purpose GIS tools.
To obtain map data in a usable form, use the download and offline-map features in HERE Maps.
Software applications that handle other tasks involving p12 files:
Google Android
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