Why you might want to disable autofill in Chrome
Chrome's autofill feature remembers your passwords, addresses, payment methods, and other information you type into forms. When you return to a website, Chrome offers to fill in those details automatically. This is convenient when you're the only person using your device — but it becomes a privacy problem if you share your computer with family, roommates, or coworkers.
Disabling autofill prevents Chrome from storing and suggesting this sensitive information. You can turn it off completely, or you can disable only certain types of autofill — for example, keeping address autofill but removing password autofill. The steps are the same whether you're on Windows, Mac, or Linux.
Key Takeaways
- You can disable all autofill at once, or turn off only passwords, addresses, payment methods, or phone numbers individually.
- The autofill settings are in Chrome's main Settings menu under "Autofill and passwords," not in a separate privacy section.
- Disabling autofill does not delete information Chrome has already saved — you must clear that separately if you want it gone.
- If you share a device, disabling autofill is faster than creating a separate Chrome profile for each person.
How to turn off all autofill at once
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select "Settings" from the menu that appears. On the left side of the Settings page, click "Autofill and passwords."
You will see four toggle switches: "Passwords," "Payment methods," "Addresses and more," and "Phone numbers." Click each toggle to turn it off. The toggles will turn gray when disabled. Once all four are off, Chrome will no longer suggest saved information when you fill out forms.
This is the quickest approach if you want to disable autofill entirely. If you want to keep some types of autofill active — for example, allowing address autofill but blocking password autofill — leave only those toggles on and turn the others off.
How to delete information Chrome has already saved
Disabling autofill stops Chrome from suggesting information going forward, but it does not erase what Chrome has already stored. If you want to remove saved passwords, addresses, or payment methods, you need to delete them separately.
In the "Autofill and passwords" settings page, you will see sections for "Passwords," "Payment methods," and "Addresses and more." Click on each section to see what Chrome has saved. Next to each item, you will see a trash icon or a three-dot menu. Click it and select "Delete" or "Remove." Repeat this for each piece of information you want to erase.
If you have many saved items and want to clear everything at once, you can use Chrome's "Clear browsing data" tool instead. Click the three dots, go to "Settings," then click "Privacy and security" on the left. Select "Clear browsing data," check the boxes for "Passwords and other sign-in data" and "Payment methods," then click "Clear data."
Turning off password autofill only
If you want Chrome to remember your addresses and payment methods but stop suggesting passwords, you can disable just the password autofill. Go to Settings, click "Autofill and passwords," and toggle off only the "Passwords" switch. Leave the other three toggles on.
This approach works well if you share a device but want to keep convenience features like address autofill for your own use. However, remember that anyone with access to your device can still see your saved addresses and payment methods — disabling password autofill alone does not fully protect sensitive information on a shared computer.
What happens when you disable autofill on a shared device
If multiple people use the same Chrome profile on one computer, disabling autofill prevents anyone from accessing saved passwords and payment information through the autofill feature. However, this is not the same as full privacy. Someone with access to your device can still view your saved passwords by going to Settings, clicking "Autofill and passwords," then "Passwords," and clicking the eye icon next to any entry.
For true privacy on a shared device, the better solution is to create a separate Chrome profile for each person. Each profile has its own autofill settings, passwords, and browsing history. Click your profile icon in the top right corner of Chrome, select "Add another person," and follow the prompts. Each person can then log in with their own account and manage their own autofill settings independently.
Re-enabling autofill if you change your mind
If you disable autofill and later decide you want it back, the process is straightforward. Return to Settings, click "Autofill and passwords," and toggle the switches back on for the types of autofill you want to use. Chrome will not automatically restore deleted information — you will need to re-enter passwords, addresses, and payment methods the next time you use them, and Chrome will ask if you want to save them.
If you want to speed up this process, you can import passwords from another browser or from a password manager. In the "Passwords" section of "Autofill and passwords," click the three dots and select "Import passwords." Choose the browser or file you want to import from and follow the prompts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does disabling autofill delete my saved passwords?
No. Disabling autofill only stops Chrome from suggesting saved information — it does not erase what is already stored. You must delete saved passwords, addresses, and payment methods manually by going to Settings, clicking "Autofill and passwords," finding each item, and clicking the delete or remove option next to it.
Can I disable autofill for just one website?
Chrome does not offer per-website autofill controls. You can only disable autofill globally or by type (passwords, addresses, payment methods, phone numbers). If you want to block autofill on a specific site, you can delete that particular saved entry from your autofill list instead.
Will disabling autofill keep my information safe on a shared computer?
Disabling autofill prevents the autofill dropdown from appearing, but it does not fully protect your information. Anyone with access to your device can still view saved passwords by going to Settings and clicking the eye icon next to each password. For real privacy on a shared device, create a separate Chrome profile for each person.
What is the difference between disabling autofill and clearing browsing data?
Disabling autofill turns off the feature but leaves saved information in place. Clearing browsing data erases saved passwords, addresses, payment methods, and other information permanently. If you want to both disable autofill and remove all stored information, disable the feature first, then use "Clear browsing data" to delete what remains.