Where to find autofill on a Mac

Autofill on a Mac lives in Safari's settings, not in a separate menu. Open Safari, then click Safari in the menu bar at the top left of your screen. Select Settings (or Preferences on older macOS versions). Click the Autofill tab. This is where you control what information Safari remembers and fills in automatically.

If you use Chrome, Firefox, or another browser, the process is different for each one — autofill settings are not shared across browsers. This guide covers Safari, which is the default browser on macOS and where most Mac users manage autofill.

Key Takeaways

  • Autofill settings are in Safari's Preferences under the Autofill tab, not in System Settings.
  • You can turn off autofill for usernames, passwords, credit cards, and contact information separately.
  • Deleting a saved credit card or contact from autofill does not delete it from your Mac — it only removes it from automatic filling.
  • If you share your Mac with other users, each person has their own autofill data that only appears when they are logged in.
  • Clearing your browsing history does not clear autofill data unless you specifically select that option.

Turn off autofill for passwords and usernames

In the Autofill tab, you will see a checkbox next to Usernames and passwords. Uncheck it to stop Safari from filling in login information automatically. This applies to all websites — you cannot turn it off for one site and leave it on for others from this menu.

If you want to remove a single saved password instead of turning off the entire feature, click the Edit button next to Usernames and passwords. A list of all saved passwords appears. Select the password you want to remove and click the minus sign at the bottom. The password is deleted from Safari's memory and will not fill in automatically on that site anymore.

Turn off autofill for credit cards

The Credit cards checkbox controls whether Safari offers to fill in your card number, expiration date, and cardholder name on payment forms. Uncheck it to disable this feature entirely. Your card information stays saved on your Mac — unchecking just stops it from filling in automatically.

To remove a specific card from autofill without turning off the feature, click Edit next to Credit cards. Select the card you want to remove and click the minus sign. That card will no longer appear as an autofill option, though you can add it back later by clicking the plus sign and entering the details again.

Turn off autofill for contact information

The Contact info checkbox controls whether Safari fills in your name, address, phone number, and email address on forms. Uncheck it to stop this behavior. Like credit cards, your contact information remains stored on your Mac — you are only stopping it from filling in automatically.

To change which contact card Safari uses for autofill, click the dropdown menu next to Contact info. You can select a different contact from your Contacts app, or choose None to disable contact autofill while keeping other autofill features on. This is useful if you have multiple addresses saved and want to use a different one for online forms.

Clear autofill data without turning off the feature

If you want to keep autofill turned on but remove all saved information, go to Safari in the menu bar and select Clear History. A window appears with a dropdown menu that says the last hour or today or all history. Select your timeframe, then check the box next to Autofill data. Click Clear History.

This removes all saved usernames, passwords, credit cards, and contact information from that time period. If you select all history, you will clear everything Safari has ever saved. Your autofill settings themselves (the checkboxes) stay turned on — Safari just has no data left to fill in until you save new information.

Manage autofill on a shared Mac

If multiple people use the same Mac, each user account has separate autofill data. When you log in to your user account and open Safari, you see only your saved passwords, cards, and contact information. When another user logs in, they see only theirs. Autofill data does not cross between user accounts.

If you are concerned about someone else accessing your saved passwords or payment information, make sure you log out of your user account when you are done using the Mac, or use a guest account for visitors. You can also turn off autofill entirely in your own account by unchecking the boxes in Safari Preferences.

What happens when you update macOS

Autofill data is tied to your Mac user account and iCloud settings, not to Safari itself. When you update macOS, your autofill information stays in place. If you have iCloud Keychain turned on in System Settings, your passwords and payment information sync across all your Apple devices — Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

To check if iCloud Keychain is on, open System Settings, click your name at the top, then select iCloud. Look for Keychain in the list. If it is toggled on, your autofill data syncs automatically. If you turn it off, your autofill data stays on each device separately and does not sync.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off autofill for one website but keep it on for others?

No. Safari's autofill settings are all-or-nothing for each category. You either have password autofill on for all sites or off for all sites. If you want more control, you can delete individual passwords or cards from the autofill list instead of turning off the entire feature.

Where does Safari store my autofill data?

Passwords and payment information are stored in iCloud Keychain if you have it turned on. If Keychain is off, they stay only on your Mac. Contact information comes from your Contacts app. You can view and edit all of it in Safari Preferences under the Autofill tab.

If I delete a credit card from autofill, is it gone from my Mac completely?

No. Deleting a card from autofill only removes it from the automatic filling feature. The card information itself is not deleted from your Mac unless you also remove it from iCloud Keychain or your Contacts app. You can add it back to autofill anytime by clicking the plus sign and re-entering the details.

Does clearing my browsing history delete autofill data?

Only if you specifically check the Autofill data box when you clear history. By default, clearing history removes only your browsing activity, not your saved passwords, cards, or contact information. You have to opt in to clearing autofill data separately.

Why is autofill not working on a website I use?

Some websites disable autofill for security reasons, especially on payment pages. If autofill is turned on in Safari but not filling in on a particular site, the website itself has blocked it. You can still type the information manually or copy it from Safari Preferences and paste it in.