How to disable the Safari password manager

What’s the Safari password manager, exactly?

If you’re an Apple user, chances are you use Safari every day—maybe you’re even reading this article in it right now! For anyone not using Apple’s products, here’s a quick heads-up: Safari is the default web browser on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. Apple designed its devices to work effortlessly with Safari, so everything feels smooth and connected across the board.

The browser comes with a range of features, including the Safari password manager. As the name suggests, it's a free password manager that’s already built right into Safari, so you don’t need to install anything extra. It seems perfect for anyone using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac—but is it, really?

Why might you want to disable the Safari password manager?

Just because it’s from Apple and available for free doesn’t mean the Safari password manager is the best option out there. When you compare it to third-party choices, Safari doesn’t quite measure up in terms of compatibility and security.

For starters, the Safari password manager is built exclusively for the Apple ecosystem. That means it won’t work with browsers or systems outside of that realm. So, if you’re on Windows or Android, you’re out of luck—you won’t be able to use Safari or its password manager.

On top of that, while the Safari password manager does use AES-256 encryption, which is the industry standard, other solutions like NordPass go a step further with XChaCha20 encryption. This newer method is generally considered more secure, giving you that extra bit of peace of mind.

So, if you want a password manager that works across nearly all platforms and browsers and employs the latest security measures to keep your online accounts safe, you might want to consider disabling the password manager in Safari and using a third-party solution.

Before you turn off the Safari password manager

If you’re thinking about disabling the password manager in Safari, hold on just a second. Before you make that move, we highly recommend exporting the passwords you’ve saved in the Safari password manager first.

This isn’t just a precaution in case something goes wrong during the switch to a new password manager—it also makes the whole process of importing your passwords into the new solution much smoother. In other words, it helps ensure you don’t lose any of your stored passwords and makes it way easier to switch things up. So, please keep this in mind.

If you need help finding and exporting the passwords you've saved in Safari, be sure to check out our article on how to do it.

How to turn off the Safari password manager on Mac

If you want to disable the Safari password manager on your Mac, you need to follow these steps:

1. Launch Safari on your Mac.

2. Go to “Preferences” from the menu bar.

3. Select the “AutoFill” tab.

4. Uncheck the box next to “Usernames and passwords” to stop Safari from automatically filling in passwords.

This will stop Safari from storing and autofilling passwords on your Mac.

How to turn off the Safari password manager on iPhone and iPad

Since both iOS and iPadOS manage passwords at the system level, if you want to turn off the Safari password manager on your iPhone or iPad, you'll need to do it through the device’s settings. Here’s how:

1. Go to device settings.

2. Scroll down and tap “Passwords.”

3. Select “AutoFill Passwords.”

4. Toggle off the switch next to “AutoFill Passwords.”

This will stop Safari from automatically filling in passwords on your device.

Managing passwords after deactivating the Safari password manager

So, once you turn off Safari’s password manager, you might wonder—how do you store and manage your passwords without it? The answer is: you can use a third-party tool like NordPass.

NordPass is an encrypted password manager that makes it easy to store, manage, and share passwords, passkeys, and credit card details. It's compatible with all major platforms and browsers, including Apple’s iOS and Safari, so it'll work seamlessly on your Apple devices as well as any others you use for work or personal needs.

But NordPass isn’t just user-friendly—it’s also packed with advanced security features. For instance, it allows you to check if your data has been compromised in a breach, test the strength of your passwords, and even generate temporary email addresses for newsletters or services while keeping your real identity hidden.

And the best part? You get all these features at an affordable price. So, make sure to check out our Business and Personal plans to see how NordPass can boost your security without breaking the bank.