Where your laptop stores passwords and why you might want to remove them
Your laptop keeps passwords in two places: inside your web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and in your operating system's password manager (Windows Credential Manager on Windows, Keychain on Mac). When you delete a password from one of these places, that browser or system stops offering to fill it in automatically — but the actual account still exists, and you can still log in by typing the password yourself.
You might want to remove a stored password if you share your laptop with someone else, if you no longer use an account, or if you are concerned about someone accessing your accounts through your device. Deleting the stored password does not change your actual account password anywhere — it only removes the copy your laptop keeps.
Key Takeaways
- Passwords stored in your browser are separate from passwords in your operating system, so you may need to delete them in both places.
- Deleting a stored password from your laptop does not change the password on the actual account — only the copy your device keeps.
- The steps differ depending on whether you use Windows or Mac, and which browser you use.
- If you share your laptop, removing passwords is faster than changing every account password, but less find if someone has already seen them.
Delete passwords from Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings, then click Autofill and passwords in the left sidebar. Click Passwords.
You will see a list of every website where Chrome has saved your password. Find the site you want to remove, hover over it, and click the three vertical dots that appear on the right. Select Delete. Chrome removes it when ready — there is no confirmation step.
If you want to remove all saved passwords at once, go back to Settings and click Privacy and security in the left sidebar. Select Clear browsing data. A window opens. Make sure the time range at the top says All time, check the box next to Passwords and other sign-in data, and click Clear data. This removes every password Chrome has stored.
Delete passwords from Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines 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 opens showing every password Firefox has stored. Find the site you want to remove, click it once to select it, and click the Remove button at the bottom. To remove all saved passwords, click the Remove All button instead.
Delete passwords from Safari (Mac only)
Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Select Settings, then click the Passwords tab. Your Mac may ask you to unlock this section using your fingerprint or Mac password — do that.
You will see a list of saved passwords. Find the site you want to remove, click it once, and click the minus sign (−) at the bottom. To remove all passwords, click the plus sign first to see the full list, then select all of them using Command+A, and click the minus sign.
Delete passwords from Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top right corner. Select Settings, then click Passwords in the left sidebar.
You will see a list of saved passwords. Find the site you want to remove and click the three vertical dots on the right side of that entry. Select Delete. To remove all saved passwords, click the three horizontal dots at the top of the password list and select Delete all.
Remove passwords from Windows Credential Manager
Windows stores some passwords separately from your browser in a system tool called Credential Manager. Open the Start menu and type Credential Manager. Click the result that appears.
Click Windows Credentials to see passwords stored for Windows accounts and some applications. Find the entry you want to remove, click the arrow next to it to expand it, and click Remove. Windows asks you to confirm — click Yes.
Some passwords may also be stored under Generic Credentials instead. Click that tab and repeat the same process if you see entries there.
Remove passwords from Mac Keychain
Mac stores passwords in a system tool called Keychain. Open Spotlight by pressing Command+Space, type Keychain Access, and press Enter.
The Keychain window opens. In the left sidebar, make sure login is selected. You will see a list of stored passwords. Find the entry you want to remove, click it once, and press the Delete key on your keyboard. Mac asks you to confirm — click Delete.
If you cannot find the password you are looking for, try clicking iCloud in the left sidebar instead — some passwords sync to iCloud and appear there rather than in the login keychain.
What to do if you cannot find a password you want to delete
If you have looked in your browser's password manager and your operating system's password manager but still cannot find a password, it may be stored in a password manager app instead — such as 1Password, Bitwarden, LastPass, or Dashlane. Open that app and look for a passwords or vault section. The steps vary by app, but most let you right-click a password and select delete or remove.
Another possibility is that the password is not actually stored on your laptop — you may have chosen not to save it when you logged in. In that case, there is nothing to delete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting a stored password change my actual account password?
No. Deleting a password from your laptop only removes the copy your device keeps. Your actual account password stays the same, and you can still log in by typing the password yourself. If you want to change your actual account password, you need to go to that website or service and change it there.
If I delete a password, will it stop autofilling on my phone too?
Not necessarily. Passwords stored on your phone are separate from passwords on your laptop. If you use the same browser or password manager on both devices and they sync, deleting on one device may remove it from the other — but this depends on your settings. Check your phone's password manager to be sure.
Can I recover a password after I delete it from my laptop?
Once you delete a stored password, your laptop no longer has a copy. You cannot recover it from your device. However, you can reset the actual account password on the website itself by clicking "Forgot password" and following the recovery steps.
Is deleting stored passwords enough to protect my accounts if someone else uses my laptop?
Deleting passwords removes autofill, but if someone has already seen your passwords or logged into your accounts, deleting them will not undo that. For stronger protection, change your actual account passwords on each website, enable two-factor authentication if available, and consider setting up a separate user account on your laptop for other people to use.
Why does my browser keep asking to save passwords even after I delete them?
Your browser is set to offer to save passwords by default. When you log into a site again, it will ask again. If you do not want to save passwords for a particular site, click "Never" or "Not now" when the browser asks. To turn off password saving entirely, go to your browser settings and toggle off the option to save passwords.