How to See Saved Passwords in Outlook

If Outlook keeps asking for your password or you simply forgot it, you can retrieve the saved credentials from Windows Credential Manager. This guide shows you exactly where Outlook stores your email password on Windows and how to view or remove it safely.

What You’ll Need

• Access to your Windows user account (you must be logged in as the user who set up Outlook).
• Administrator rights may be required to view credentials for some account types.
• Your Windows password or PIN (needed to reveal the saved password).

Step-by-Step

1. Close Outlook completely. Right-click the Outlook icon in the system tray (bottom-right near the clock) and select Exit. This prevents the app from locking the credential file.
2. Open Windows Credential Manager. Press Windows + R, type control /name Microsoft.CredentialManager, and press Enter. Alternatively, search for “Credential Manager” in the Start menu.
3. Click “Windows Credentials” (not Web Credentials). This tab stores the login information for Outlook, network shares, and other Windows apps.
4. Look for an entry starting with “MicrosoftOffice16_Data” or similar, followed by your email address. For example: MicrosoftOffice16_Data:user@example.com. If you use a work or school account, it may appear as MicrosoftOffice16_Data:user@contoso.com.
5. Click the arrow on the right side of that entry to expand it. You’ll see details like “User name” and “Password”.
6. Click “Show” next to the password field. Windows will ask for your account PIN or password. Enter it to reveal the stored password.
7. Copy the password if needed, then close Credential Manager. The password is now visible in plain text.

Common Mistakes

• Looking in Web Credentials – Outlook desktop passwords are stored under Windows Credentials, not Web Credentials. Web Credentials are for browser logins.
• Not closing Outlook – If Outlook is running, it may lock the credential entry, and you might not see the password or be able to edit it.
• Choosing the wrong account – If you have multiple Outlook profiles, make sure you expand the one that matches the email address you’re trying to recover.
• Expecting to see the password for Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 – For modern accounts that use OAuth (like Outlook.com, Microsoft 365), Windows often stores an access token instead of the actual password. In that case, the password field may show “Show” but reveal a long string of characters, not your real password. That’s normal; the token is what Outlook uses.

Tips

• Use the search box in Credential Manager to filter by your email address – it’s faster than scrolling.
• If you can’t see the password, try using the Command Prompt method: open cmd as administrator and type rundll32.exe keymgr.dll,KRShowKeyMgr. This opens the classic Stored User Names and Passwords dialog, which sometimes shows more entries.
• For Outlook 2013 and earlier, the credential entry might be named MicrosoftOffice15_Data or MicrosoftOffice14_Data – the number corresponds to the Office version (15 = 2013, 14 = 2010).
• If you’re trying to recover a password for a POP/IMAP account, the password is usually stored in the same Credential Manager entry, and you can view it with the “Show” button.
• Write it down somewhere safe after viewing, because you might not remember it later.

Troubleshooting

• No credential entry found – If you don’t see any Outlook-related entry, it might be because Outlook is using a different authentication method (like OAuth) that doesn’t store a password. Check by going to Outlook’s File > Account Settings > Account Settings, selecting your account, and clicking “Change”. If the password field is blank and the option “Use the following type of encrypted connection” is greyed out, it’s likely using OAuth. In that case, you cannot retrieve the password from Credential Manager – you’d have to reset it online.
• “Show” is greyed out or not available – This usually means the credential is a token, not a password. You can still delete the entry and re-enter your password manually in Outlook, but you won’t be able to view it.
• Windows asks for a password you don’t have – If you’re not an administrator, you may not be allowed to view credentials. Log in with an admin account or ask the system administrator to help.
• Outlook keeps prompting for password after you viewed it – Viewing the password doesn’t change anything, but if you accidentally clicked “Remove” or edited it, Outlook will ask again. To fix, re-enter the correct password in Outlook’s account settings.
• Credential Manager is empty – This can happen if you’re looking at the wrong user profile. Make sure you’re logged in as the same Windows user that configured Outlook.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I see my Outlook password on my phone?
A: No, the password is stored on the device. On Android/iOS, you can usually find it in the account settings of the Outlook app, but it’s often hidden for security. You may need to reset it instead.

Q: What if I use Outlook for Mac?
A: On Mac, passwords are stored in the Keychain Access app. Open Keychain Access, search for your email address, double-click the entry, and check “Show password” (you’ll need your Mac login password).

Q: Is it safe to view my saved password?
A: Yes, it’s your own password on your own computer. However, make sure no one is looking over your shoulder, and don’t share it.

Q: Why does my password show as a long string of numbers and letters?
A: That’s likely an OAuth token, not your actual password. Outlook uses tokens for security, so you can’t recover the original password from that string.

Q: Can I copy the password to use it on another device?
A: Yes, if it’s a real password (not a token), you can copy it and use it on another device. But for security, it’s better to use Outlook’s built-in account setup which handles the password automatically.

Q: What if I forgot my Windows password and can’t open Credential Manager?
A: You’ll need to reset your Windows password first (using another admin account or a password reset disk). Without access to Windows, you cannot view the stored credentials.

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