Where are Google Chrome passwords stored? Guide to find it
Whether you need to back up or delete your passwords, you first need to know where your passwords are stored. This post shows the different paths where your passwords could be stored.
On a Windows computer, your passwords are stored in the file “Login Data” located at “C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default”. If you are connected to your Google account, they are also stored on the Google Cloud.
Stored on your computer
The passwords are stored in the directory “C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default”, the directory AppData is a hidden directory, you can access it using the shortcut “%localappdata%” in your path bar on Windows files.
The passwords are saved in the file “Login Data”. This file is an SQLite database, a small and lightweight database in a file. It can be opened using an SQLite browser. Only the passwords are encrypted, all the other data as usernames or URLs are stored unencrypted and can be read using the SQLite browser.
The file is not taking up too much space on your device. It, of course, depends on the number of saved passwords but it should not take more than a few MBs.
How are the passwords encrypted on Chrome?
The passwords on Chrome saved on your computer are encrypted using a Windows function. The function is named CryptProtectData. You can find more technical information about it here. The passwords are encrypted with this function using a specific algorithm and your Windows password.
It means that your Windows password is needed to decrypt your Chrome passwords, so do not share your Windows password with anyone.
More details about the algorithm used by Windows can be found here. It’s based on Triple-DES encryption, which is a very strong one.
Stored on your Google Account
Your password can also be saved on your Google Account, you just need to connect to your account and enable the sync feature on Google Chrome. Just click on the profile icon on your Chrome browser and connect to your account.
Once you enabled the sync feature, the passwords will be saved on your Google account. They can be found using the Google password manager website. Using this website, you can delete your passwords, export or import them, and enable or disable a few settings parameters.
The Google password manager is not the only password manager though, and it can be annoying to go on Google Chrome each time you need to use a password.
You might want to use another password manager instead, there is plenty of them, 1password, LastPass, or bitwarden for example. Each password manager has browser extensions, a computer application, and a smartphone application, making it easier to use them every day.
Author
Maxime Levesque is a technical engineer with more than 5 years of professional experience. He is an expert in computer and phones, mostly on Apple products. Maxime is also the founder of TechBrowser.
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