Browsers always hide passwords behind asterisks to make sure others can’t spy on them. This can be tedious when there are too many passwords to remember. You often need the convenience of viewing them in plain text, especially tough passwords. It also avoids invalid logins due to misspellings and other distractions, ensuring you don’t get stuck on your own account. The following methods will allow you to see your password entered in your browser instead of the asterisks.
Warning: Although the methods for revealing passwords are safe to use, it is best to keep your passwords hidden as much as possible.
1. Use the Show password option
When logging in, several websites allow you to remove the asterisks using a “show / hide” checkbox in the password field. This option is preferable if you do not want your sensitive passwords to be remembered. It is also the easiest method which works seamlessly on all browsers.
Once you’ve got a glimpse, it’s easy to hide the password.
The show / hide passwords option is available for all mainstream websites like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, Netflix, Yahoo, Dropbox, Instagram, Reddit, Quora and many more. Many banking and credit card sites also offer this feature to prevent invalid password attempts.
2. Reveal saved passwords in browser
All major browsers offer the option to save passwords when you log into any website, which can be retrieved from “Settings”. Is it a confidentiality issue? Yes, because the passwords are kept in plain text and can be exposed by simply clicking on the option “show password” mentioned above.
Whether you want to save the password or not, you always get a one-time reminder. This gives you the option of not saving super sensitive passwords. In addition, you can periodically review and delete one or more of the saved passwords.
Check the methods to reveal passwords saved behind asterisks in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox as shown below.
Google chrome
In the Chrome browser, go to “Settings -> Autofill -> Passwords”.
Enable the option “Offer to save passwords” to receive reminders when you log in.
If you enter a new password on a site, Chrome will ask you to save it. To accept, click on “Save”.
Go back to “Settings -> Autofill -> Passwords” and you should see a list of saved passwords. Click “Show Password” to view it here.
Chrome also allows you to copy or remove the password from a three-dot menu.
Microsoft Edge
In Microsoft Edge, go to “Settings -> Profiles -> Passwords” and activate the “Offer to save passwords” option.
In Microsoft Edge, go to “Settings -> Profiles -> Passwords” and activate the “Offer to save passwords” option. The next time you access a site, Edge will ask you to save the password.
All saved passwords can be easily viewed from the View button. You can remove passwords easily.
Mozilla Firefox
In Firefox, go to “Options -> Privacy and security -> Logins and passwords”. Check all the boxes under “Request to save logins and passwords for websites”. Unlike Google Chrome, Firefox allows you to use a master password as the top layer on all saved passwords. This is a very useful security feature.
Now Firefox will offer to save all the passwords you enter. Click “Save” to continue.
All saved passwords can be retrieved from “Options -> Privacy & Security -> Logins & Passwords.” You can click the “Show Password” icon to view the password. You can also copy the username and password from prominent icons to easily remove passwords.
3. Show password in developer options
The developer option of a browser is a good way to display the correct password names instead of asterisks. In any of the browsers above, right-click and type “Inspect Item”.
The password is automatically displayed as soon as you hover over the “Value” field.
The same hover technique is applicable for Chrome.
4. Use a third-party extension
You can also use a third-party extension to display the passwords when entering your data into the field. For Chrome, Edge, and any browser that supports Chrome extensions, Show password is a good option.
It is easy to control the timing and effect of the display of passwords, which can be hovered with the mouse, double-click, focus or pressing the control key.
Once ShowPassword has access to the site, you can use the recorded effect such as mouse over to reveal your password.
As soon as you hover your mouse near the password field, the password will be displayed.
Unlike Chrome, there are many other extensions in Firefox that display passwords, like Show / hide passwords. For Opera, there is a similar extension which reveals all password fields.
Out of all the methods described above to view your passwords in the browser, I recommend the first and third options due to the greater ease and privacy. Another option is to use a third-party password manager so that you never have to see a password in your browser.
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Sayak Boral is a technology writer with more than ten years of experience in various industries including semiconductors, IoT, enterprise computing, OSS / BSS telecommunications and network security. He has written for MakeTechEasier on a wide range of technical topics including Windows, Android, the Internet, hardware guides, browsers, software tools, and product reviews.
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