How to look up passwords saved on Mac

Passwords play a pivotal role in securing your various accounts. The more complex a password is, the harder it is to hack your account. Creating multiple complex passwords comes with the responsibility of having to keep these passwords safe and store them securely.

Due to having a lot of long and complicated passwords, you may find yourself forgetting some of them. In this article, we will explain how you can look up passwords saved on a Mac.

Is it secure to store your passwords in iCloud Keychain? 

iCloud Keychain is Apple’s tool used to save passcodes, and it comes pre-installed when you buy a Mac. You can use this tool to save usernames and passwords for your apps, Wi-Fi networks and Safari. When you need to log in, Keychain Access auto-fills your account information.

When it comes to the security of using Keychain, iCloud protects your saved data with end-to-end 256-bit AES encryption protocols which gives you the highest level of data security. Because your stored data is secured with a key that’s made from information unique to your device, and your private device passcode, no third party can access or read your saved data while it is stored or in transit.  

You can also activate Two-Factor Authentication on your iCloud Keychain as an additional layer of security for your data. Although Keychain is secure as a password storage tool, it comes short when compared to some of the greatest password managers in the market. It is not compatible with all devices such as Android, Linux, Windows, etc.  

How to look up passwords on Mac

1. Open Keychain Access on your Mac.
2. Go to the search bar, which you will find in the top right corner
3. Search for the password you're looking e.g. “Netflix”. It's advisable to search for the name of the website or app whose password you want to see.
4. Once you’ve found the password, view it with a double-click.
5. Check the box next to “Show Password”.
6. Once you get a pop-up message, enter the passcode you use when you log onto your computer and click “Allow” for one-time access.
7. You should see the passcode in the Password field at the bottom of the pop-up window.

It is easy to look up saved passwords on Keychain. However, it is advisable to look into getting a more secure password manager that will bulletproof your data from hackers.