How to Export Your Passwords from Google Chrome

Google Chrome features an excellent built-in password manager that conveniently saves your login credentials and autofills them across your devices. However, if you are migrating to a more secure standalone password manager (like Bitwarden or 1Password) or switching to a different web browser entirely, you need a way to take your passwords with you.

Fortunately, Chrome allows you to export your entire password vault into a universal CSV (Comma Separated Values) file. This file can then be instantly imported into almost any other password management software on the market.

Step 1: Open Google Password Manager

The export tool is located within Chrome’s dedicated Password Manager menu.

1. Open Google Chrome on your PC or Mac.
2. Click the three vertical dots (the Chrome menu) in the top-right corner of the window.
3. Navigate down and hover over Passwords and autofill.
4. Click on Google Password Manager from the sub-menu. (Alternatively, you can just type chrome://password-manager/passwords directly into your address bar and press Enter).
5. You are now looking at a list of all your saved login credentials.

Step 2: Export the Passwords to a CSV File

Now that you are in the Password Manager, you can generate the export file.

1. Look at the left-hand navigation sidebar and click on Settings.
2. Find the section labeled Export passwords and click the blue Download file button.
3. Because you are attempting to download highly sensitive data, Chrome will demand that you verify your identity. A prompt will appear asking for your computer’s administrator password (or it may ask you to scan your fingerprint/use Windows Hello if you have biometric security enabled). Enter your computer’s password, not your Google account password.
4. A standard “Save As” dialogue box will appear. Choose a location to save the file, such as your Desktop, and click Save.

Chrome has now created a file named Google Passwords.csv on your computer.

Step 3: A Critical Security Warning

You have successfully exported your passwords, but you have also just created a massive security vulnerability. The CSV file you downloaded contains all of your usernames, website URLs, and passwords in plain text. The file is not encrypted.

If anyone gains access to your computer, or if a piece of malware finds that file on your Desktop, they will instantly have the keys to all your online accounts, including your bank and email.

Therefore, you must adhere to the following rules:

• Import immediately: Open your new password manager (e.g., Bitwarden, LastPass, Firefox) and immediately use its “Import from CSV” function to ingest the Chrome data.
• Destroy the CSV file: The very moment the import is complete, find the Google Passwords.csv file on your Desktop and delete it.
• Empty the Trash: Deleting the file is not enough. You must right-click your Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac) and select Empty to ensure the plain text file is permanently destroyed.

By following these steps, you can safely migrate away from Google Chrome without having to manually re-type hundreds of passwords.