How to Enable or Disable Autofill Passwords and Passkeys in Microsoft Edge on Windows 11

Why This Matters

Microsoft Edge can save your passwords for you, filling them in automatically when you visit websites to save you time.

What You Should Know

Microsoft Edge stores user passwords securely and syncs them across devices when users sign in. Users can also manually add passwords to the Edge password manager, choosing options like automatic filling for password protection.

You can also manually add passwords to the password manager in Microsoft Edge.

Edge gives you three ways to protect your saved passwords:

• Fill in passwords automatically (easiest, but less secure)
• Ask for your device password before filling passwords (medium security)
• Use a custom primary password (highest security)

Reference: Additional privacy for your saved passwords – Microsoft Support

Option 1For Your Account Only

Turn On or Off Autofill Passwords in Microsoft Edge

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three dots menu (Settings and more) at the top right. Click Settings.
3. Click Passwords and autofill in the left sidebar. Click Microsoft Password Manager on the right side.
   

   To turn edge autofill passwords on or off, you’ll need to go into Microsoft Edge’s settings. First, open Edge and click the three dots menu in the top right corner, then select ‘Settings’.

4. Click More settings.

Option A: Fill Passwords Automatically (Default)

Filling passwords automatically is the fastest way to sign in to websites with Microsoft Edge, as it enters your username and password for you. To set this up, select ‘Fill website password and sign in automatically’ in ⚙️ the settings.

What happens? Edge will fill in your username and password automatically when you visit a website.

1. Select Fill website password and sign in automatically, or suggest available passkeys.
2. If Windows Security asks for your device password, enter it.
3. Close ⚙️ the Settings tab when done.

Option B: Ask for Device Sign-In Before Filling

Adding a device sign-in prompt before filling passwords increases security, requiring your Windows password or fingerprint first. This ensures no one can use your saved passwords without your permission. Select the prompt option in Edge’s password settings.

What happens? Before Edge fills in a password, it asks you to enter your Windows password or use your fingerprint.

1. Select Prompt for the device sign-in options before viewing or filling website password.
2. If Windows Security asks for your device password, enter it.
3. Choose from the dropdown menu:

   • Always ask permission (asks every time)
   • Ask permission once per browsing session (default — asks once per session)
4. Close ⚙️ the Settings tab when done.

Option C: Use a Custom Primary Password

A custom primary password provides the strongest protection for your saved passwords in Microsoft Edge. You’ll need to enter this special password every time before Edge fills in any login details. Choose this option in the password settings.

What happens? Edge asks you to create a custom password. You must enter this password before Edge will fill in any saved passwords.

1. Select Prompt for the custom primary password before viewing or filling website password.
2. If Windows Security asks for your device password, enter it.
3. Type in a new primary password and click Create.
4. Choose from the dropdown menu:

   • Always ask permission (asks every time)
   • Ask permission once per browsing session (default — asks once per session)
5. Close ⚙️ the Settings tab when done.
   

Turn Off Autofill Passwords using Registry

Disabling password autofill in Microsoft Edge prevents the browser from automatically filling saved login details. This security measure ensures only you intentionally input your username and password for websites, adding an extra layer of protection.

What happens? Edge will not save or fill in passwords anymore.

1. Turn off the toggle for Autofill passwords and passkeys.
2. Close ⚙️ the Settings tab when done.

Option 2For All Users on Your Computer

Admin privileges required.

This section requires administrator privileges. It uses the Group Policy for Microsoft Edge, so you’ll need to be signed in as an administrator to proceed.

Always Enable With Automatic Fill

Open Windows Terminal as an administrator and run this command:

Microsoft Edge requires autofill to be turned on for all users. The browser prompts users to sign in to their device before filling saved passwords. Users cannot disable this autofill feature but can adjust the frequency of the sign-in prompt.

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v PrimaryPasswordSetting /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Always Enable With Custom Primary Password

Always enabling the custom primary password setting forces all users on the computer to use autofill and always requires the primary password before filling any passwords. This prevents users from disabling the security feature. You can set this up using a registry file.

Click the Download button below to ⬇️ download the registry file, then follow the steps at step 7.

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v PrimaryPasswordSetting /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f

Disable Autofill for All Users

What happens? All users cannot use autofill. Passwords will not be saved or filled in automatically. Users cannot turn this on.

Open Windows Terminal as an administrator and run this command:

Microsoft Edge's autofill setting is the standard configuration for password and passkey saving. Each Windows 11 user controls this feature independently within their own browser settings. Turning autofill on saves login details automatically, making future logins faster. Turning autofill off prevents the browser from storing any passwords or passkeys.

reg delete "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v PrimaryPasswordSetting /f

Summary

Microsoft Edge offers easy ways to save and fill passwords, giving you choices between the fastest automatic fill, medium security with device sign-in, or the highest security with a custom primary password.