You can see a hidden password by using the website’s eye button or opening your browser’s password manager. These do different jobs: the eye button shows what is already in the box, while the password manager shows a login you previously saved.
Choose the right method
| What you need | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Check a password you just typed | The eye or Show password button beside the field |
| Find a saved website password | Your browser’s password manager |
| Recover a password you never saved | The website’s Forgot password process |
View saved passwords in your browser
- Chrome: open the three-dot menu, then Passwords and autofill → Google Password Manager. Find the site, open its entry and use the eye button. Complete the device sign-in check if asked.
- Firefox: open the menu and choose Passwords, or enter
about:loginsin the address bar. Select the site and reveal its password. Firefox can ask for device sign-in; a Primary Password may also protect saved logins. - Edge: open Settings → Passwords and autofill → Microsoft Password Manager. Find the saved account and use its reveal control. Follow any device authentication prompt. Older versions may show these options under Profiles → Passwords.
Check the browser profile and account if the entry is missing. A password saved in one profile may not appear in another. In Opera or another browser, search its settings for “passwords” and use the built-in manager rather than installing a password-revealing add-on.
Show a password hidden behind stars
On your own login form, click the eye or Show password control if one is available. Check the text, then hide it again. This does not change your password.
Developer tools can change an HTML password field from type="password" to type="text". That only changes how a value already in the page is displayed. It cannot retrieve a password from a server, reveal an empty field or bypass your password manager’s sign-in check. Our guide to viewing a page’s source explains the difference between page code and browser tools.
If the password is not saved
Use the site’s account recovery route. A remembered username or an active session does not mean the browser has the password. Avoid exporting all passwords just to find one: an exported file may leave readable passwords on your computer. For a separate problem with an encrypted file, see forgotten WinRAR passwords.
Official instructions: Chrome password management, Firefox saved logins, Firefox device sign-in and Edge’s current settings.
Information checked October 13, 2026, using the guides linked above.