One of the most convenient features of Google Chrome is its ability to automatically remember your usernames and passwords for every website you visit. When you navigate to Netflix or your online bank, Chrome instantly fills in the login boxes, saving you from typing complex strings of characters.
However, if you need to log into Netflix on a different device (like a smart TV) and you can’t actually remember what the password is because Chrome has been doing the work for you for the past three years, you have a problem. You need to look behind the “asterisks” and see the actual, raw text of your password.
How to Access the Google Password Manager
Chrome stores all of your login credentials inside a highly secure, encrypted vault known as the Password Manager.
- Open the Google Chrome browser on your computer.
- Look at the very top right corner of the window. You will see a small icon of your profile picture (or your first initial) located directly to the left of the three vertical dots. Click it.
- A small drop-down menu will appear. Click the icon that looks like a small grey key (the Password Manager).
- (Alternatively, you can click the three vertical dots > Settings > Autofill and passwords > Google Password Manager).
A new tab will open displaying the Password Manager. In the center of the screen, you will see a massive alphabetical list of every single website (e.g., Amazon, Facebook, Netflix) where Chrome has saved a credential.
How to Reveal a Hidden Password
Because the Password Manager contains incredibly sensitive data, Chrome places a firm security barrier in front of the actual passwords. It forces you to prove you are the owner of the computer before it reveals anything.
- Scroll through the alphabetical list in the Password Manager and find the website you need (or use the “Search passwords” box at the top).
- Click on the specific website (e.g., netflix.com).
- Crucial Step: The Security Check. A pop-up box will appear asking for your computer’s password or PIN. This is not your Google password. You must type the exact same password or PIN that you use to log into your Windows or Mac laptop when you turn it on in the morning. (On a modern Mac, it may ask for your Touch ID fingerprint).
- Once you pass the security check, you will see your username and a string of dots representing the hidden password.
- Click the small icon that looks like an eyeball directly next to the hidden password.
The dots will vanish, and the raw text of your password will be revealed. You can now copy it or type it manually into your smart TV.
How to Edit or Delete a Saved Password
If you recently changed your password on a website, but Chrome keeps trying to auto-fill the old, broken password, you can manually fix the error inside the Manager.
- Navigate to the specific website’s entry in the Password Manager (following the steps above).
- Pass the Windows/Mac security check.
- To fix an outdated password, click the Edit button at the bottom of the screen. Delete the old password, type the new one, and click Save.
- To completely wipe a saved login from Chrome’s memory, click the Delete button. A pop-up will ask you to confirm; click Delete again.
The next time you visit that website, Chrome will not attempt to auto-fill the boxes, allowing you to log in cleanly.