How To Turn Off Safari Password Manager: A Step-By-Step Guide

Learn how to turn off the Safari password manager and take control of your passwords and privacy settings.

Last updated Oct 18, 2024

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The Safari web browser contains a built-in password manager. This is a useful tool because it can be connected to other Apple devices for easy syncing. However, it does lack some security features and doesn't meet every person's needs.

Keep reading to learn how to disable the Safari password manager so you can start using your preferred password manager instead.

In this article

How safe is the Safari password manager?
How to turn off the Safari password manager on a PC
How to turn off the Safari password manager on a Mac
How to turn off the Safari password manager on an iOS device
How to delete saved passwords in Safari’s password manager
FAQs
Bottom line

How safe is the Safari password manager?

Built-in password managers seem convenient at first glance. There's no need to install third-party software since they're part of your browser. However, the Safari password manager has some security and usability issues.

The biggest issue with Safari is that the password manager doesn't sync across devices unless you are using iCloud Keychain. It's possible to use iCloud Keychain on Windows devices, but it's an additional installation step and a hassle. The Safari password manager is difficult if your household uses different operating systems.

While Safari is secure within the Apple ecosystem, it's not a comprehensive password management solution. Built-in password managers like Safari and Google Password Manager often lack advanced security features such as data breach alerts and secure sharing.

In addition, if someone hacks your Apple device, they will have access to all your passwords. This increases the potential for ID theft and a host of other security threats.

How to turn off the Safari password manager on a PC

To turn off the Safari password manager, you need to change your browser settings. Here’s how:

Click the Safari menu.
Select Preferences.
Choose the autofill icon.
Disable AutoFill Web Forms.

Once completed, this will stop auto-filling password credentials and other information that Safari may have saved. It should also stop Safari from asking you to save passwords to the password manager.

How to turn off the Safari password manager on a Mac

Before you can use a password manager for Mac, you need to disable the built-in Safari password manager. It will stop Apple from auto-filling login information and storing new ones. Here are the instructions to turn off the Safari password manager on a Mac:

Launch the Safari app.
Click on the Safari menu.
Select Settings.
Choose AutoFill.
Uncheck Usernames and passwords.

How to turn off the Safari password manager on an iOS device

On an iOS device, you need to turn off the password manager on the system level. Follow these steps to turn off Safari saved passwords:

Disable saved passwords on an iOS 18 device

Go to Settings.
Select General.
Tap on Autofill & Passwords.
Toggle OFF Autofill Passwords and Passkeys.

Disable saved passwords on an iOS 17 or earlier device

Go to Settings.
Select Passwords.
You’ll be prompted to enter your device passcode.
Navigate to Passwords Options.
Toggle OFF Autofill Passwords and Passkeys.

Disabling this feature will stop Apple from auto-filling your login information and creating new passwords. Then, you can start using one of the best iPhone password managers.

How to delete saved passwords in Safari’s password manager

Now that we’ve stopped Safari from auto-filling usernames and passwords, the next step is to delete saved passwords. It's a crucial step to ensure your login information doesn't get lost to a data breach.

But first, you should export passwords and download them to your new password manager. You'll need to research how to migrate login credentials to their new home with your chosen password manager. You need to do this step before you can delete passwords on Safari.

Once you've migrated your passwords to the new manager, you can follow these steps to delete saved passwords in the Safari password manager:

Open Safari.
Choose Settings in the menu.
Select Passwords.
Sign in to your account if prompted.
Click a website and choose the Show Details icon.
Select Delete Password.
Repeat on all websites.

When you remove login credentials from Safari, you will also remove them from the Apple Passwords app and any device connected to the iCloud Keychain.

FAQs

Does Safari have a built-in password manager?

Safari does have a built-in password manager if your Mac is using the macOS Sonoma or earlier versions. New macOS versions solely use the Apple Passwords app. The Safari built-in manager is part of the iCloud Keychain, which lets you sync login information across multiple Apple devices.

While convenient, some users may notice that the Safari password manager lacks advanced security features. Tools like data breach alerts, emergency access, and password strength monitoring are crucial to keeping data secure. Users may want to look into other password managers for a more secure system.

How do I find my saved passwords in Safari?

You can find your saved passwords in Safari by following these steps on your Mac:

Open Safari.
Choose Settings from the Safari menu.
Select Passwords.
Log in to your account if prompted.
Search for the designated website.
Click on the Show Details icon to reveal the login information for the website.

How do I remove the password manager from Safari?

Removing the password manager from Safari is impossible since it's a built-in feature. However, you can disable it from saving your information and auto-filling sites with usernames and passwords.

How do I save passwords on my iPhone with Safari?

Saving passwords on an iPhone with Safari isn't possible on a browser level. However, you can save passwords with the Apple Passwords app or another alternative. It will automatically suggest strong passwords and store them for future reference. Just make sure the autofill feature is enabled:

Go to Settings.
Select General.
Click Autofill & Passwords.
Check that the feature is Toggled ON.

How do I disable Apple’s password manager?

You can disable the Apple Passwords app by going to Settings and clicking General. Choose Autofill & Passwords and then turn off Autofill Passwords and Passkeys. This will stop Passwords from trying to fill in or create passwords.

How do I disable Passkey on Safari?

While you can use passkeys on Safari, you need to go to the Apple Passwords app to disable passkeys.

First, launch the Passwords app.
Tap All and then select an account.
Select Edit.
Then, choose to Delete Passkey.

This action will remove the passkey from your iPhone and iCloud Keychain. However, the passkey still exists for the website or app.

Bottom line

The Safari password manager isn't the most secure way to store your passwords. It lacks core features to protect your login information, and using the built-in tool across multiple operating systems is hard. It's best to turn it off by disabling autofill features.

Some of the best password managers are easy to use across operating systems. They also have robust security tools to ensure your passwords are strong enough to withstand hackers. Using a dedicated password manager is part of a comprehensive online security system to protect your data.

Author Details

Sara J. Nguyen

About the Author

Sara J. Nguyen is a freelance writer specializing in cybersecurity. She aims to help people protect their data while enjoying technology. She has written about online privacy and tech for over 5 years for several organizations. When she's not writing about the latest cybersecurity trends, you can find her on LinkedIn.