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Retrieving Your Digital Keys: Uncovering Stored Passwords on Mac Computers

What to Know

• iCloud Keychain: Go toApplications >Utilities >Keychain Access > search for password > double click it.
• Check theShow Password box > enter your computer password > clickOK (orAllow orAlways Allow ).
• In Chrome:Chrome menu >Preferences >Autofill >Passwords > eye icon > enter computer password >OK .

This article explains how to find passwords saved on a Mac. Saving passwords is useful, especially if you usevery long, very safe passwords , but sometimes you’ll forget them.

How Do I View Saved Passwords on My Mac?

Follow these instructions to view saved passwords on your Mac:

1. Open a newFinder window and go toApplications >Utilities .
   
2. OpenKeychain Access .

3. In the search bar in the top right corner, search for the password you’re looking for. It’s best to search for the name of the website or app whose password you want to see.
   
4. When you find the password, view it with a double-click.

5. Check the box next toShow Password .
   
6. In the pop-up window, enter the password you use when logging onto your computer and clickAllow for one-time access (orAlways Allow for longer-term access).

For some passwords, just clickOK instead.
7. The password appears in thePassword field at the bottom of the pop-up window.

What Is Keychain Access?

Keychain Access comes pre-installed on all Macs and is Apple’s tool to save passwords. It saves usernames and passwords for Safari, Wi-Fi networks, and apps. It’s Keychain Access that auto-fills your account info when you need to log in.

Because Keychain Access stores all of your passwords, it’s also the place where you view saved passwords on your Mac. We’ll assume you have some passwords in Keychain Access already, so follow these steps to look them up.

Keychain Access isn’t the onlypassword manager out there. Others (1Password is may be the most well-known) work in basically the same way. The exact steps differ based on the program you use, but you can look up passwords in those programs, too.

How to Sync Saved Passwords With iCloud Keychain

Like the idea of saving your passwords and having them autofill when you need them? Not only can you do so on a Mac, but it works on iPhone and iPad, too. That feature is callediCloud Keychain and it works just like other parts of iCloud: content is synced to all devices logged into the same iCloud account. So, if you set up iCloud Keychain on all your devices, they’ll all have the same passwords. To do so, follow these steps.

• On Mac : Go toApple menu >System Preferences >Apple ID >iCloud > check the box next toKeychain .
• On iPhone or iPad : Go toSettings > [your name] >iCloud >Keychain > move theiCloud Keychain slider to on/green.

How Do I View Saved Passwords in Chrome?

Chrome is many people’s preferred browser, but it doesn’t work with Keychain (by default, at least; there’s abrowser extension to make Keychain compatible with Chrome ). Instead, Chrome saves passwords itself. Here’s how to look up passwords in Chrome on a Mac.

1. Open Chrome >Chrome menu >Preferences >Autofill >Passwords .
   
2. Scroll down to theSaved Passwords section.
   
3. Click theeye icon next to the account whose password you want to view.

Click here

4. In the pop-up window, enter the password you use to log onto the computer and clickOK .
5. The password appears in thePassword column.
   
6. To hide the password again, click the eye icon.

FAQ

• How do I find my Mac username and password?
  If you forgot your Mac username and need it to log in, restart your Mac while pressing thepower button + Command + S . When you see the command prompt, enter ls /Users into the box. You’ll see a list of active usernames on the Mac. If you forgot your Mac login password and need to reset it, restart your Mac, then select your user account. Select thequestion mark in the password box, then select thearrow next toReset it using your Apple ID . Enter your Apple ID and password, then follow the prompts to set a new login password.
• How do I find my Wi-Fi password on a Mac?
  You can find your saved Wi-Fi password on your Mac through Keychain. Launch Keychain Access, then go toSystem >Passwords . Locate your network name, clickShow Password , then follow the authentication prompts. You can also find your Wi-Fi password using Terminal. Launch Terminal, then type security find-generic-password -ga WIFI NAME | grep “password:” into the box. Follow the authentication prompts and then you’ll see your password.

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