To disable AutoFill in Safari on a Mac, open Safari, choose Safari > Settings, and click AutoFill. Then uncheck the types you do not want Safari to fill in: Using information from my contacts, User names and passwords, Credit cards, and Other forms. Unchecking a box stops Safari from filling in that kind of information. It does not delete anything that is already saved.
This guide covers Safari on a Mac running a current version of macOS. The steps and labels follow Apple’s Change AutoFill settings in Safari on Mac page, checked on October 5, 2026. Apple’s guide for older macOS versions names the menu item Preferences instead of Settings, but the four checkboxes are the same.
Before You Start
- What AutoFill is: a Safari feature that enters saved contact details, sign-ins, payment cards, and earlier form entries for you. Apple says fields that Safari filled in are highlighted in yellow.
- What you need: a Mac with Safari, signed in to your own user account. No extra software is required.
- What changes: only Safari on this Mac. Other browsers, and Safari on an iPhone or iPad, have their own settings.
- What does not change: your contacts, saved passwords, saved cards, and saved form entries all stay where they are until you remove them.
How to Disable AutoFill in Safari on a Mac
- Open Safari on your Mac.
- Click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen, then choose Settings. You can also press Command + comma. A settings window opens with a row of tabs.
- Click AutoFill. You should see four checkboxes, each with an Edit button next to it.
- Uncheck Using information from my contacts to stop Safari from filling in names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses from the Contacts app.
- Uncheck User names and passwords to stop Safari from saving and filling in website sign-ins.
- Uncheck Credit cards to stop Safari from saving and filling in debit or credit card details.
- Uncheck Other forms to stop Safari from saving and reusing what you type into other web forms.
- Close the settings window. There is no Save button.
You do not have to turn off all four. If your only concern is payment details, for example, uncheck Credit cards and leave the rest alone.
What Each AutoFill Option Controls
| Checkbox | What Safari fills in | What Edit is for, according to Apple |
|---|---|---|
| Using information from my contacts | Details from any contact card in the Contacts app | View or edit that information |
| User names and passwords | Sign-ins you saved for websites | View or edit your saved sign-ins |
| Credit cards | Saved debit or credit card information | Add or remove saved AutoFill cards, or change a saved card |
| Other forms | Information you entered earlier on the same webpages | See or remove websites that have saved AutoFill information |
If your Mac or Apple keyboard has Touch ID, Apple says you can use it to fill in user names, passwords, and credit card information.
Remove Saved Information Instead of Turning AutoFill Off
If one outdated or embarrassing entry is the problem, removing it may be a better fix than disabling the whole feature.
Warning: removing saved information is harder to undo than unchecking a box. Apple says that user names and passwords you remove in Safari are deleted from the Passwords app, and from your other Apple devices if they use iCloud Keychain. iCloud Keychain is Apple’s service that keeps passwords and similar details in sync across your devices.
Remove saved form entries for a website
- Go to Safari > Settings and click AutoFill.
- Click Edit next to Other forms. Safari lists the websites it has saved form information for.
- Select the website and remove it.
Remove a saved card
- Go to Safari > Settings and click AutoFill.
- Click Edit next to Credit cards. Your Mac may ask you to confirm it is you first.
- Select the card you no longer want and remove it.
Apple’s Mac User Guide also lists an AutoFill Cards option under Apple menu > System Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay on Macs with Touch ID, where you choose which cards are enabled for AutoFill.
Remove a saved password
On current macOS versions, saved sign-ins live in the Passwords app. Apple’s steps for removing a password are:
- Open the Passwords app on your Mac and unlock it.
- Click All in the sidebar, then click the account.
- Click Edit.
- Click Delete Password, then click Delete Password again to confirm.
Apple notes that this does not remove the account from the website itself, so you can still sign in there by typing the password. Apple’s Passwords guide also has a page on recovering a recently deleted password.
Stop Address Bar Suggestions
If Safari is finishing what you type in the address bar, that is not AutoFill. Apple calls the address bar the Smart Search field, and its suggestions are controlled on a different tab. Go to Safari > Settings and click Search, then use the options described on Apple’s Change Search settings in Safari on Mac page:
- Uncheck Include search engine suggestions to stop your search engine from suggesting search terms as you type.
- Uncheck Include Safari Suggestions to stop suggestions from the internet, Music, the App Store, and other sources.
- Uncheck Preload Top Hit in the background so Safari stops loading its best guess before you press Return. Apple says the top hit is based on your bookmarks and browsing history.
Sites from your own history and bookmarks can still show up. To clear history, choose History > Clear History, click the pop-up menu, and pick how far back to go. Be aware that Apple says this also removes your history from your other Apple devices if they have iCloud set up for Safari.
How to Confirm It Worked and Turn AutoFill Back On
To check the change, open a webpage with a form of the type you turned off, such as a sign-in page or a checkout page, and click in a field. Safari should no longer offer your saved details for that type.
To undo the change, go back to Safari > Settings > AutoFill and check the box again. Because unchecking a box does not delete saved information, your earlier entries should be offered again unless you removed them.
Troubleshooting
- You see Preferences, not Settings: your Mac is on an older macOS version. Choose Safari > Preferences, then click AutoFill.
- The Safari menu shows different items: make sure Safari is the active app. Click a Safari window first, so that Safari appears next to the Apple menu.
- Something still fills in your password: Apple says a third-party password manager can save and fill passwords in Safari. Go to Safari > Settings, click Extensions, and uncheck an extension to turn it off, or change the setting inside that password manager.
- A website fills in your user name by itself: the site may be remembering you with its own “Remember me” option rather than Safari AutoFill. Sign out of the site, or clear that option the next time you sign in.
- A checkbox will not change: on a work or school Mac, some settings can be controlled by the organization. Ask your administrator. Apple’s AutoFill page does not cover this case.
- Someone else still sees your details: Apple warns that Safari autofills your information for anyone who uses your Mac with your user login. Turning off AutoFill helps, and so does requiring a password after sleep or giving the other person a separate user account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does turning off AutoFill on my Mac turn it off on my iPhone?
No. Safari on an iPhone has its own switches in the Settings app. Apple’s iPhone guide says to go to Settings > Apps > Safari > AutoFill and turn off Use Contact Info. For saved cards, see how to turn off credit card AutoFill in Safari on an iPhone.
Does unchecking User names and passwords delete my saved passwords?
No. It only stops Safari on this Mac from saving and filling them. Your saved sign-ins stay in the Passwords app until you delete them there. On an iPhone, see how to delete a saved password in Safari on an iPhone.
Can I turn off AutoFill for just one website?
Apple’s AutoFill settings page lists only the four checkboxes, which apply to every website. It does not describe a per-site switch. For a single site, remove that site under Edit next to Other forms, or delete its saved password in the Passwords app.
Is it safer to turn AutoFill off?
It depends on who uses your Mac. Apple says Safari fills in your information for anyone using your user login, so turning AutoFill off makes sense on a shared Mac. On a Mac only you use, AutoFill with Touch ID or a login password is a convenience many people keep.
Will Safari still suggest strong passwords?
That is a separate setting. Apple lists Suggest Strong Passwords in the Passwords app under Passwords > Settings, where you can turn it off.
Does AutoFill work with Contacts information I have not saved?
No. Apple says Safari can fill in only contact information that is in the Contacts app. If a detail is missing from a contact card, you type it yourself.
More Safari Guides
With AutoFill set the way you want, you may also want to tidy up the rest of Safari on your Mac:
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
Read more about Matthew and how Solve Your Tech writes and updates its guides, or report a correction.