In today’s digital landscape, the average person has over 100 online accounts. Remembering all those unique, complex passwords is impossible, which is why Apple built an excellent, deeply integrated password manager directly into the macOS operating system.
Every time you log into a website using Safari or join a new Wi-Fi network, your Mac securely saves those credentials. But what happens when you need to log into that same website on a Windows PC, or share your home Wi-Fi password with a guest? You need to extract the plain text version. By learning how to view saved passwords on a Mac, you can easily retrieve your locked credentials whenever you need them.
The Evolution of Mac Password Management
If you are a long-time Mac user, you might be looking for an app called “Keychain Access.” For over two decades, this utility was the only way to view your saved credentials. While the Keychain Access app still technically exists in the Utilities folder, Apple has heavily deprecated it in recent years.
Starting with macOS Ventura (and continuing in Sonoma), Apple completely overhauled the interface, bringing the Mac password manager in line with the much friendlier iOS Settings app found on iPhones.
The modern workflow no longer requires digging through complex developer utilities.
How to Access the Passwords Menu
To find your saved website logins, app credentials, and Wi-Fi passwords, follow these steps:
- Click the Apple Logo () in the top-left corner of your screen.
- Select System Settings from the drop-down menu (if you are on an older Mac, this will be called System Preferences).
- In the left-hand sidebar, scroll down and click on Passwords. It has an icon resembling a grey key.
Because this menu contains highly sensitive information, macOS will immediately lock the screen. You must authenticate yourself before proceeding. Depending on your Mac model, you can either place your finger on the Touch ID sensor, or type in the administrator password you use to log into the computer.
Viewing, Editing, and Sharing Passwords
Once authenticated, you will see a clean, alphabetised list of every single credential saved to your iCloud Keychain.
You can use the Search bar at the top of the window to quickly filter the list (e.g., searching for “Netflix” or “Home Wi-Fi”).
To view the actual password:
- Click on the specific account name in the list.
- A detailed card will open, showing the website URL, your username, and a field labelled “Password” containing only hidden dots.
- Hover your mouse cursor over those hidden dots. The password will instantly reveal itself in plain text.
From this detailed card, you can also perform several other critical actions:
- Copy Password: Right-click the revealed password and select “Copy” to paste it into another application.
- Edit Password: If you recently updated your credentials on a website but your Mac didn’t catch the change, click the Edit button at the top right to manually update the saved text.
- AirDrop (Share): If you want to securely send this password to a friend or family member who owns an iPhone or Mac, click the Share icon (a square with an upward arrow) to AirDrop the credential directly into their own Keychain.
- Delete Password: If you no longer use this service, click Delete Password at the very bottom of the card to permanently remove it from all your iCloud devices.
A Note on Third-Party Browsers
It is important to remember that this System Settings menu only manages passwords saved via Apple’s native services (Safari, iCloud Keychain, and native Mac apps). If you use Google Chrome, Firefox, or a third-party password manager like 1Password or Bitwarden, those credentials will not appear in this list. You must open those specific applications to view their internal password vaults.
