If you use different passwords for each web account, as it should always be if you want to be safe and secure, it becomes difficult to remember all the passwords. Fortunately, browsers allow you to save passwords in their internal manager, so as to avoid having to rewrite them each time the next time you log in, even using different computers.
This feature is available on all modern browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, which are the most used browsers on Windows and Mac.
It is not just a matter of remembering passwords, but also of automatically accessing a site, without having to repeat the writing of the login credentials (username and password), thus limiting the risk that someone may intercept or spy on it.
It is important to know how to manage this functionality, both to make life more comfortable, both to know how to find passwords, and to disable the function when necessary (a shared PC or a public PC) and also to be able to delete any login data. wrong.
We find out in this guide how to save passwords in Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari, which are the most used browsers in the world.
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By default you can save passwords in browsers to have automatic access to all our favorite sites, like Gmail, Facebook, Twitter and others.
After logging in to a site with a login and password, the browser will ask if you want to remember that password or not.
If we use our own computer that we only use, then we can respond positively; otherwise it is better to avoid.
Passwords and logins are stored in the browser, in a secure area, and on many browsers it is also possible to synchronize them online with the dedicated account, so that we can use the same passwords on all our devices (even on smartphones ).
1) Google Chrome
The most used web browser in the world is the one that best manages login data, giving the possibility to protect passwords in the Google account, in an encrypted way.
We have already seen how the password manager of Chrome and Google works in another article, explaining how the vision of passwords in the clear is linked not only to the Google account, but also to the Windows account.
To see the passwords saved by Chrome you need to press the button at the top right (the three dots) and go to Settings > Passwords, while to activate or deactivate the saving of passwords we will have to act on the items Ask to save passwords and Automatic access .
The passwords saved in the manager are covered by dots that can be discovered only by putting the password of the PC user account.
The various login data that are no longer used or wrong can be deleted from here by pressing the X symbol next to each item.
If we want to disable the functionality only for one site, just click Never at the time of the save request, so as to exclude it from the Chrome password manager; if instead we want the browser to ask in the future to save the password for a site, we use the X button on the window that will appear, so as to avoid saving the credentials only for our session.
Note that with Chrome you can also activate password synchronization on other devices such as the Android smartphone or an iPhone, just open the Settings and click Activate synchronization, therefore entering the credentials of a valid Google account.
Passwords saved on the PC will therefore also be auto-filled in on the mobile phone and on any other PC in which Chrome is used with the same account.
To find out more, we recommend you read our guide to synchronize browser data and passwords on each device.
READ ALSO: Notice of password change if compromised or already used
2) Mozilla Firefox
The free Firefox browser allows you to save passwords in its protected archive and to synchronize them online with the account dedicated to the purpose, so as to bring the credentials on any device.
To deactivate or activate the password saving, just go to the settings (button with three lines at the top right), then press the Options button and go to the Privacy and Security section.
From here we can manage the functionality with the check mark under Ask if saving the access credentials to the websites ; to exclude sites we can use the Exceptions button, where you can see the list of sites for which you have been asked to never save passwords.
The saved passwords button allows you to discover in clear the credentials stored in Firefox.
To protect this login data, in the case of shared use of Firefox, you can set a main password that will be requested every time you access one of these sites.
The master password adds encryption protection: only those who know the master password can see and access credentials.
3) Microsoft Edge
The browser built into Windows 10 offers an excellent tool to save all credentials once inserted in the web page.
To manage all passwords, simply click on the three dots at the top right, then go to the Password and automatic filling menu.
In this side menu we can activate or deactivate the functionality using the switch next to the Save password item, while we can manage those already saved by clicking on the Password management button.
Passwords are synchronized with the Microsoft account associated with the operating system, so that they can be used on another PC and prevent anyone from seeing them by mistake (we will be asked for the account password to view them in clear text).
READ ALSO -> Features and tricks guide for Microsoft Edge in Windows 10
4) Safari
The default browser on every Mac and MacBook is Safari, which has a good password manager for the various sites, synchronized with the Apple ID, therefore easily accessible from the iPhone or iPad.
When filling in the fields, simply choose to save the passwords, so as to fill in the fields automatically the next time you log in to the site.
To activate and deactivate the functionality, go to the top menu Safari -> Preferences, then open the Password tab; we will be asked for the password to access the system in order to continue.
Once the page is unlocked, we check the check mark under Automatically fill usernames and passwords, then we manage the various credentials in the list by clicking on Details or Remove at the bottom.
5) Conclusions
Saving passwords in the browser is very convenient, but not always safe and protected from prying eyes .
In fact, several tools are available to view the saved login and password and also to see the passwords of the programs and sites saved on the computer in clear text.
With a simple trick it is also possible to find out the passwords stored on the browser behind dots or asterisks.
If you use a shared PC or a laptop it is safe to change the method with which we manage passwords, perhaps using tools such as LastPass or KeepPass to manage access logins to websites.
