How to Export Safari Passwords on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

With the ever-growing number of applications and services that we use on a daily basis, the number of passwords that you need to remember is astronomical. While we highly recommend using a password manager, there’s something to be said about just being able to have all of your passwords stored in your browser of choice. But what if you want to switch to a new browser or finally start using a password manager? Well, in order to make sure that you have all of your passwords at your disposal, you’ll need to export Safari passwords first.

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How to export Safari passwords

You might notice that the steps below don’t make any mention of being able to export Safari passwords on iPhone or iPad. Despite the ability to create new entries, set up two-factor authentication, and even add notes to password entries, Apple has yet to make it possible for you to export Safari passwords from those devices. Instead, you’ll need to follow the steps below in order to export Safari passwords from the Mac. Otherwise, you’ll have to go into the Passwords section in Settings and manually copy each entry over into the password manager or browser that you are now using.

1. Open the Safari app on the Mac.
2. In the menu bar, click Safari.
3. From the drop-down menu that appears, highlight and select Settings…
4. Within the Safari Settings window, click Passwords in the top toolbar.
5. Enter your Mac’s password to unlock access.
6. Click the three horizontal dots within a circle at the bottom of the list of passwords.
7. Highlight and select Export All Passwords…
8. Click the Export Passwords… button to confirm.
9. Name the .csv file.
10. Change the location for where you want to export Safari passwords.
11. Click the Save button.
12. Enter your Mac’s password to provide authentication.

After you’ve provided authentication, the .csv file will be available and accessible from whatever folder or location that you denoted in the steps above. However, it’s important to note that if you plan to keep this file, do so by locking it in a secure folder or moving it to a secure location that cannot be easily accessed just by someone else using your computer. The file itself is not encrypted, meaning that all of your account logins and passwords can be viewed just be opening the file with Numbers or Microsoft Excel.

How to import Safari Passwords

Naturally, the biggest reason why you might want to export Safari passwords is to import them into a third-party password manager, or even into another browser. With the example below, I’ll be importing the Safari passwords file into 1Password, which is my own password manager of choice.

1. Open the 1Password app on your Mac.
2. In the menu bar, click File.
3. From the drop-down menu, highlight and select Import…
4. Click the + Add File button.
5. Locate and select the .csv file that was exported in the previous section.
6. Click the Import button in the bottom right corner of the 1Password window.

In some instances, you might just want to switch to a different browser from Safari, and the exported .csv file makes that possible. Most browsers and password managers offer the ability to import and export all sorts of information, and passwords are no example.

Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.

He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including iMore, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.