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

What You Should Know

Microsoft Edge keeps your passwords safe and can share them with you on other devices when you log in. You can also add passwords yourself and choose if Edge should fill them in automatically to help protect your accounts.

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 control whether edge autofill passwords works, you need to go into Microsoft Edge’s settings. First, open Edge, click the three dots in the top right corner, and then select ‘Settings’. Next, click on ‘Passwords and autofill’ in the left sidebar.

4. Click More settings.

Option A: Fill Passwords Automatically (Default)

Filling passwords automatically is the quickest way to log into websites using Microsoft Edge, as it enters your username and password for you. To use this, choose the ‘Fill website password and sign in automatically’ option 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

Asking for your device sign-in before filling passwords adds an extra layer of security, meaning you’ll need to enter your Windows password or use your fingerprint first. This stops anyone else from using your saved passwords without your okay. Choose this 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 offers the strongest protection for your saved passwords in Microsoft Edge. You must enter this special password every time before Edge can fill in login details. Select the ‘Primary password’ option within the password settings to set up this protection.

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 stops the browser from automatically entering saved login details. This security step means you have to type your username and password intentionally for websites, adding extra protection. You can do this by turning off the toggle for Autofill passwords and passkeys in settings.

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 involves modifying settings through Group Policy, a feature for managing configurations across multiple computers, so you’ll need to be signed in as an administrator.

Always Enable With Automatic Fill

For all users on the computer, Microsoft Edge will have autofill enabled. This means saved passwords will automatically fill login fields on websites, and individual users can’t disable this within their browser settings. To enforce this, open Windows Terminal as an administrator and run a specific command.

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.

The custom primary password setting forces all users on the computer to use autofill and to enter the primary password before autofill works. This action stops users from turning off this security feature. You can set up the custom primary password by ⬇️ downloading a registry file and following the provided steps.

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

Disabling autofill for all users stops password saving and automatic filling on the computer. Users cannot reactivate this password autofill feature. System administrators typically manage this setting through system-level policies.

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.