Disable Chrome from Asking Windows User Login Password

One of the latest security related feature in the recent versions of Chrome browser is that it asks for your Windows user login password if you try to access the passwords saved in the browser. If you do not know how to view the saved passwords in Google Chrome, then you can read our previous article about viewing saved passwords in Chrome. In the newer versions of the Chrome browser, it asks for the Windows sign-in password before finally revealing the saved passwords. However, if you have not assigned any Windows sign-in password, then it does not ask for one.

If you do not want Chrome to ask for your Windows login password when you access saved passwords, then you can either remove the Windows user login password from your account or you can disable the password manager re-authentication feature in Chrome.

Chrome Password Manager Reauthentication

Here is how you can disable the password manager re-authentication:

Update 21st January, 2018: This is no longer needed. If you were not signed in to your Google account when saving the passwords, you can see them easily. If you were signed in to your Google account, then you can view saved passwords from https://passwords.google.com.

 

  1. Open Google Chrome browser, type chrome://flags in the address bar and press Enter.
  2. Scroll down the list of all the features available until you see the flag labeled Disable Password Manager Reauthentication.Chrome Password Manager Reauthentication
  3. Click on the small Enable link given below this feature’s description to enable this feature.
  4. Click on the button labeled Relaunch Now to restart Chrome with new settings.
  5. That’s it. After this, Chrome will not ask for Windows user password when you try to access the saved passwords.

While disabling the password manager re-authentication feature can make it a little easier for you to view the saved passwords, it actually exposes your saved passwords to just about anyone using your computer. So you should not disable this excellent security feature in Chrome unless you are absolutely the only user working on your computer.

10 comments

  1. HELP…..please!!!

    I have examined all these answers but still can’t find out how to prevent chrome from requiring my windows credentials in order to view my saved chrome passwords.

  2. I am new to Chrome and find signing in every time I turn on my laptop extremely annoying. I am the only person using this laptop and want to turn this feature off. Can anyone help me with this please

    1. This will work if your PC is unprotected but it is asking you windows password.

      1) Go to Control Panel, user accounts.
      2) Add a password to your Admin account.
      3) check in chrome by typing that password, if it works.
      4) If yes, again go to user accounts, remove password.
      5) follow step 3).

      Worked for me.

  3. It’s the whole concept of linking passwords with multiple accounts that makes no sense to me.
    Each connection is a new potential point of security failure.
    Microsoft’s security history is particularly worrisome. I don’t believe Microsoft has ever understood security from an end-user’s perspective, and they reinforce that fear with their practice of selling user-specific information to anyone who asks. If it weren’t for a couple of applications I use that don’t work well under Linux, I would have dumped Microsoft ten years ago, specifically because I don’t trust them with my private information.

  4. I have the alternate solution! You have to go on google.com website. then upright corner click on your account. Then sign in & security. Then go down till end. Click Manage passwords. Now enter your google’s password and there you go you have your passwords.

    NB I dont know however what is the bug with the windows password. Yesterday I succeeded when I signed yout then cleared all with Ccleaner, then I signed in Chrome. I could see passwords for a very short time then the bug reappeared.

  5. Great Trisha… however : “Disable Password Manager Reauthentication”… does not exist any longer in chrome://flags! Is there an other way? thanks.

  6. How will that ‘tip’ help you when ‘anyone else’ is working on your computer (they do it themself)?

  7. Yay thank you, it’s been annoying me on Windows 10 preview.

    Should also add to click on relaunch after making changes.

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