Are passwords stored in web browsers safe?

Yes, saving passwords in a modern web browser can be safe enough for common, non-technical users — and it is often better than the alternatives they actually use.

But it comes with important conditions and limits.

The key thing to remember is - if user can get to his web passwords so can malware.

Modern browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari):

• encrypt stored passwords,
• tie access to the OS user account
• protect passwords behind:
  
  • OS login
  • device encryption (BitLocker, FileVault, etc.)

Browsers can utomatically:

• generate strong passwords,
  prevent password reuse,
  fill only on matching domains (phishing protection).

For many users, this means:

Browser password storage is safer than memory, notebooks, or reusing the same password everywhere.

The real comparison that matters

The question is not:

“Is it perfectly secure?”

The real question is:

“Is it safer than what this user would otherwise do?”

Malware is usually running as the user using the browser

If you allow malware on your device it can read the browser-stored passwords in exactly the same way as you - that is without decrypting anything.

How this compares to dedicated password managers