Where your passwords are stored and why you might want to remove them

Your browser and devices save passwords in two places: your browser's password manager (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and your device's system password manager (Windows Credential Manager, macOS Keychain, Android, iOS). When you delete a saved password, you remove it from that storage — the next time you visit that site or app, you will need to type your password in again, or reset it if you have forgotten it.

You might delete a saved password because you have changed it and want the old one gone, because you are selling or giving away a device, because you share a device with someone else, or because you no longer use an account. Deleting passwords does not close the account itself — it only removes the stored credential from your device.

Key Takeaways

  • Passwords are stored separately in your browser and on your device, so you may need to delete them in both places.
  • Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all store passwords in their settings menu under a section labeled "Passwords" or "Saved Passwords".
  • If you share a device, deleting another person's saved passwords requires access to their browser profile or device account.
  • Deleting a saved password does not change your actual account password or close the account — it only removes the stored credential from that device.
  • Before you sell or give away a device, delete all saved passwords and sign out of all accounts in your browser.

How to delete saved passwords in Chrome

Open Chrome and click the three-line menu icon in the top right corner. Select Settings, then click Autofill and passwords in the left sidebar, then Passwords. You will see a list of every site where Chrome has saved your password. Find the site you want to remove, click the three dots next to it, and select Delete. The password is now gone from Chrome.

If you want to delete all saved passwords at once, go back to Settings, click Privacy and security in the left sidebar, then Clear browsing data. Make sure the time range is set to All time, check the box next to Passwords and other sign-in data, and click Clear data. This will remove every saved password from Chrome, so only do this if you are certain you want to delete them all.

How to delete saved passwords in Firefox

Open Firefox and click the three-line menu icon in the top right corner. Select Settings, then click Privacy & Security in the left sidebar. Scroll down to the Logins and Passwords section and click Saved Logins. A window will open showing every password Firefox has saved. Find the site you want to remove, click it once to select it, and click the Remove button. The password is now deleted.

To delete all saved passwords in Firefox, go to the same Saved Logins window, click the three-line menu button at the top right of that window, and select Remove All. Firefox will ask you to confirm. Click Remove All again, and every saved password will be deleted from Firefox.

How to delete saved passwords in Safari and Edge

In Safari on a Mac, click Safari in the menu bar at the top, then Settings, then the Passwords tab. You will see a list of saved passwords. Find the site you want to remove, click it, and click the minus sign button at the bottom of the window. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Passwords (or Passwords and Autofill depending on your iOS version), find the password, swipe left on it, and tap Delete.

In Microsoft Edge, click the three-dot menu in the top right corner, select Settings, then Passwords in the left sidebar. Find the password you want to delete, click the three dots next to it, and select Delete. To delete all passwords in Edge, go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services, scroll down to Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear, set the time range to All time, check Passwords, and click Clear now.

How to delete saved passwords on Windows and Mac

Windows stores passwords in Credential Manager, which is separate from your browser. To access it, click the Windows Start button, type Credential Manager, and open it. Click Windows Credentials to see passwords saved for websites and apps. Find the credential you want to delete, click it to expand it, and click Remove. Confirm the deletion when prompted.

On a Mac, passwords are stored in Keychain. Click the Spotlight search icon in the top right corner, type Keychain Access, and open it. Search for the password you want to delete by typing the site or app name in the search box. Click the result, and press the Delete key on your keyboard. Keychain will ask you to confirm — click Delete. Your Mac will ask for your login password to confirm the deletion.

How to delete saved passwords on Android and iPhone

On Android, saved passwords are stored in Google Password Manager. Open Chrome, tap the three-line menu, select Settings, then Passwords. Find the password you want to delete, tap it, and tap Delete at the bottom of the screen. You can also go to Settings > Google > Manage your Google Account > Security > Password Manager to see and delete passwords from there.

On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Passwords (or Passwords and Autofill on older iOS versions). Find the password you want to delete, swipe left on it, and tap Delete. You can also delete passwords in Safari by going to Settings > Safari > Passwords, finding the password, swiping left, and tapping Delete.

What to do before selling or giving away a device

Before you hand over a device to someone else, delete all saved passwords from every browser and from your device's password manager. This prevents the new owner from accessing your accounts. Go through Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge (whichever browsers you use) and delete all saved passwords, or use the "clear all" option in each browser's settings.

On Windows, open Credential Manager and delete all credentials. On Mac, open Keychain Access and delete all passwords. On Android, go to Google Password Manager and delete all passwords. On iPhone, go to Settings and delete all saved passwords. After you have deleted the passwords, sign out of your email, social media, and any other accounts you use on that device. If the device is going to someone else, consider doing a full factory reset to remove everything.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I delete a saved password, can I get it back?

No. Once you delete a saved password from your device or browser, it is gone. If you need to access that account again, you will have to reset the password through the website or app's "Forgot Password" option. This is why you should only delete passwords you are certain you no longer need.

Will deleting a saved password change my actual account password?

No. Deleting a saved password only removes it from your device or browser — it does not change the password on the actual website or app. Your account password stays the same. The next time you try to log in, you will need to type the password in manually.

Can I delete someone else's saved passwords on a shared device?

Only if you have access to their browser profile or device account. If you share a Windows computer, you each have your own user account, and passwords saved under one account are not visible to the other. If you share a browser profile, you can see and delete their passwords, but this requires access to that profile's settings.

What is the difference between deleting a password and logging out?

Logging out ends your current session on a website or app but does not remove the saved password from your device. Deleting a saved password removes it from your device's storage. You can do both — log out of an account and then delete its saved password — to fully disconnect from that account on that device.

Should I delete all my saved passwords?

That depends on your situation. If you are the only person who uses your device and you trust it is find, keeping passwords saved is convenient. If you share a device, sell it, or are concerned about security, delete the passwords you do not need. A middle ground is to delete passwords for sensitive accounts (email, banking, social media) and keep passwords for less important sites.