How to Find Your Email Password on Your iPhone
So, here’s where I got stuck — trying to find an email password on my iPhone, especially if I forgot it or it was saved somewhere I couldn’t immediately access. Apple’s ecosystem is really good at hiding these things, which, honestly, is both a good thing and a pain. It’s not always obvious where the passwords are stored, even if they’re on your device. After experimenting with different menus, I finally figured out the right way to do it, so hopefully this can save you some trouble.
Accessing Saved Passwords on iPhone
The first thing to understand: all your saved passwords aren’t just scattered around. Apple keeps them in a dedicated section called Passwords & Accounts, which is usually inside the Settings app. Depending on your iOS version, it might be labeled slightly differently, like Passwords or Passwords & Security.
To get there, you can open the Settings app, then look for Passwords & Accounts or a similar label.
Or, even easier — just swipe down on your home screen or the lock screen and type “Passwords” in Spotlight Search. Sometimes it’s hidden behind menus, and you won’t find it immediately. Took me a few tries to get comfortable navigating it.
Once you’re in the Passwords app, you’ll see a long list of accounts. Some might be a little overwhelming — all your saved login info neatly stored in one place. To make it easier, use the search bar at the top. Type in “Gmail” or “Mail” if that’s your target, and it should jump straight to that entry.
Tap on your email account — and now, here’s where the magic, or the frustration, can hit. You’ll see a Password field, which is masked by dots or stars.
Tap on it, and if everything lines up, a “Reveal” button appears. Tap that, and authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode. Voila — your password pops up. Honestly, it took me a couple of tries to find that toggle and figure out how to reveal the password without messing up.
Some Tips and Warnings You Should Know
-
Why does this process work? Because iOS stores passwords in the Keychain, which syncs with iCloud. So, if you saved the password on one device, you can generally retrieve it from another device logged into the same account.
However, it’s protected by biometric checks or your passcode — so don’t think about just peeking without unlocking the phone properly. When you tap “Reveal,” it’ll ask you to authenticate via Face ID, Touch ID, or punch in your passcode first. That’s a security feature, and honestly, I’m glad Apple layers it on to keep things safe. -
Possible friction points: The Passwords app isn’t always immediately obvious. On some iOS versions, it’s tucked under Settings > Passwords, but others might show it as Settings > Accounts & Passwords.
Sometimes, it’s inside the Settings > General > Password & Accounts menu.
In newer iOS updates, it might change a bit, so don’t get discouraged if it’s not exactly where you expect. It’s a little weird at first, but once you figure out the layout, it’s just a matter of a few taps. -
What if the password isn’t there? Well, if you’ve never saved it, or if iCloud sync didn’t work properly, you won’t see it. Also, some apps or websites disable local password saving or autofill, so they might be managing passwords outside of iOS’s Keychain.
In that case, you’ll need to reset the password on the website or app itself, which is a different headache and sometimes a pain to do.
Final Real Talk
Honestly, once I got the hang of where to look, retrieving saved passwords on the iPhone became pretty quick. The main tip I can give is to keep your device updated — updates often tweak where things are hidden or how security prompts work.
And, a word of caution: never try to bypass your device’s lock just to see passwords — it’s there for a reason, and keeping your info safe should be priority. That said, if you’ve forgot your email password, using this method to find saved passwords is probably the easiest way without firing up a password reset or using some third-party tool.
If this helped and you managed to track down your email password, nice! It’s honestly a little buried in Apple’s ecosystem, but once you find it, it’s usable. Hope this saves someone else the hours I spent poking around. Good luck, and don’t forget to keep your passwords safe!