Lost Gmail password from auto-password generator?

Help! My friend lost his Google Gmail password because he used a password generator on his Mac, but when he copied the generated password to the clipboard, it didnt really copy. Then he closed the password box and effectively lost that new password for his Gmail. He tried filling out the Gmail technical support form to get access again but they said the info he gave them was "inconclusive" and they couldn't give him access back at this time. Is there a way to recover his Gmail password on a Mac? Since there are no cookies like Windows I'm not sure how he can get it back. Thanks!

Dave's Answer:

Sounds like a tricky situation because you didn't tell me which password generator your friend used, but odds are good that whatever he ran, it likely has some sort of internal database of encrypted passwords.

If it's really well behaved, it might even be adding the password information to the existing account and password storage system on your Mac OS X system: Keychain.

In fact, let's start there. While you might be familiar with Keychain as the utility that applications like Safari use to store passwords, you might not realize that it's actually a separate application you can launch. To find it, go to Applications --> Utilities and look for "Keychain Access"

The opening window looks like this:

Scroll down (or search) and see if you can find the account information in question. Once you do, select it and choose File --> Get Info (or just press Cmd-I) and it'll show you more details:

Check "Show password" and it'll ask you for your system password:

Mac OS X: Keychain Access: Prompting for Password

If you enter it correctly, you'll now have the password for that account revealed. Helpful!

If you can't find it there, try the password generating application itself. For example, I use 1Password for account management within the Web browser and it too has the ability to show you otherwise encrypted passwords, as shown here:

Again, find the specific entry you're interested in and choose it. Immediately, the lower pane will fill with account details:

Mac OS X: 1Password: Account Info Window

If the password isn't shown, simply click on "Edit" and it'll reveal it.

Hopefully these will give you and your pal some ideas about how to recover the password your application assigned to his Gmail account. Good luck!

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Let's stay in touch!

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Categorized: Google Gmail Help (Article 8105, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: account management, mac keychain, password management, password recovery, security
Previous: When was the last time Google visited my Web site?
Next: Import Lotus Notes Address Book into Microsoft Outlook?

Reader Comments To Date: 103

Laurel said, on July 3, 2008 3:41 PM:

Hi Dave, No tech support for gmail is unfortunate...started a new iMac with OS X Tiger, also downloaded the latest version of Firefox, and presto gmail did not remember me... it refused to accept my password - which has not been changed.

After answering my "private question" incorrectly, ...perhaps a typo at time of setup?...who knows, it then asked me to verify my latest sent emails addresses: However, those addresses were available & located on the gmail server, not on my previous computer, so without access to gmail I could not retrieve my last emails, for proof of verification.

My alternate email at mac.com expired last year and the new one is slightly different...so I'm not able to send an email to google tech support for gmail to correct the situation.

Any advice?
Laurel

yubaraj said, on July 25, 2008 5:46 AM:

I forgot gmail password. I just changed gmail password few days before. Now gmail is telling me to wait for 5 days. can i recover passowrd immediately?

jay said, on October 9, 2008 5:48 PM:

I dont understand why gmail makes it so hard to e-mail them .I can see no number ,people would be calling all day.I am having a problem with never getting my paypal e-mails though gmail.I think gmail you are a zero .......

troy northcutt said, on October 10, 2008 3:55 PM:

i have lost my password at gmail my email address is northcutt.troy@gmail.com they have no tech support please help thanks troy northcutt

roy said, on March 8, 2009 6:45 AM:

my gmail password has been forgotten ,can you help me !if you can ,please email wolfstarer@gmail.com and i tell you the gmail account!

Kunal said, on March 31, 2009 4:17 AM:

I m in serious trouble, If u can den plz help, i hav lost my gmail password and i think the confirmation mial is not coming in my secondary mail,,,,What should i do where should i complain.......

Plz reply bak...
kunaljha1987@yahoo.com

Mangala said, on May 8, 2009 4:58 AM:

Hey I forgot may gmail password and please help me to recovber that.It is very important becouase I send my CV to a Company and the reply will come to that gmail address.Soi please help me.You can contact me on this addres cmjayasinghe@hotmail.com

abinchandrababu said, on May 19, 2009 6:18 PM:

hello deve taylor please tell me the way to hack gmail password of others.....i hope u will reply

haresh said, on June 2, 2009 10:54 PM:

password is lost send mail (avtarpumar@gmail.com)

deepali said, on June 8, 2009 5:01 AM:

pls send my gmail password . send other email id
deepali134@yaho.com pls send.

Vijay Kumar said, on September 10, 2009 2:13 AM:

i frogot my Password of gmail account and i dont remember the sequrity question also plz tell me how to retreav the password i have the secondory account

payal said, on September 13, 2009 4:44 AM:

Sir,my friend had forgotten his gmail account password,and also his secondary mail id.how could he retrive his password with out this information?some body is using his id also.how could he hack this id and retrive the password of his gmail account.plz reply its very urgent.

kiran said, on September 22, 2009 6:08 AM:

Hey I forgot may gmail password and please help me to recovber that.It is very important becouase I send my CV to a Company and the reply will come to that gmail address.Soi please help me.You can contact me on this addres

pls send my gmail password . send other email id
nrmlrao0@gmail.com pls send.

rohit.4933 said, on October 4, 2009 1:55 AM:

sir i know my gmail password but when i open my gmail id its not open plz help me.

jagdish said, on November 18, 2009 7:38 AM:

i have lost my password at gmail my email address is jagugodara@gmail.com they have no tech support please help thanks jagdish vishnoi

jai saini said, on December 10, 2009 1:25 AM:

dear sir,
i am loss my passwod pls.give my cureent password

regards
jai saini

shinas said, on January 9, 2010 11:27 PM:

Hai Dev,
How i can find the password of others Gmail account. i just want to know only one person, my G friend. I want to check her mails and chats History.. Any option. Plz Help, If u dont lik eto help, plz, dont make any comments, OK.

Shreyansh Hingar said, on February 18, 2010 6:03 PM:

Nice thing but from where i can download this software for free???

shivi said, on March 18, 2010 10:49 PM:

plz help me to get my gmail password which is changed by some one else..id is
: anushivi@gmail.com

mansa said, on March 26, 2010 1:35 PM:

hey pls help me i have lost my password its very urgent i ill get a id from which i need to work pls help me get it bak..............

raj kumar said, on April 5, 2010 1:19 AM:

plz help me i forgot my passward send mee on it 9217934276

saha said, on April 8, 2010 9:40 AM:

pls find the password of my mail address and the mail id is b.sahana1@gmail.com this is my own id

Annabelle said, on April 9, 2010 12:16 PM:

What should I do if I've lost my account password? I can't necessarily keylog myself or direct myself to a phishing scam.

Password crackers don't work, because I've switched computers due to the other one that I used to use for gmail being broken, since some of the password crackers I've tried to use apparently go into your hard drive and look for the passwords. However, I haven't gotten a chance to use my Gmail account on this computer, because the password was lost before then.

I can't use password recovery, because the security question was changed to something else, something about a primary flyer number or something. I don't have a recovery address. I can't fill out the form which they give you, since my IP address is different than what I have usually used, since I moved to my friend's apartment, and that will be suspicious.

Does anyone know what I could possibly do?

sathya said, on April 23, 2010 12:34 AM:

sir my gmail account opening is not because i have no password for me please hlp me.

simi said, on April 30, 2010 6:47 AM:

i frogot my Password of gmail account and i dont remember the sequrity question also plz tell me how to retreav the password i have the secondory account

anil.tanwar2009 said, on May 1, 2010 11:24 AM:

i frogot my Password of gmail account and i dont remember the sequrity question also plz tell me how to retreav the password i have the secondory account

Abhishek said, on May 5, 2010 4:03 AM:

i frogot my Password of gmail account and i dont remember the sequrity question also plz tell me how to recover the password.i dont have secondary account.

pritam said, on May 27, 2010 9:22 AM:

i frogot my Password of gmail account and i dont remember the sequrity question also plz tell me how to recover the password.i dont have secondary account.

sudhasrinivasan said, on June 16, 2010 12:34 AM:

i frogot my Password of gmail account and i dont remember the sequrity question also plz tell me how to retreav the password i have the secondory account

jahirul said, on June 17, 2010 12:53 AM:

i lost password this gmail id aditi.mukherje@gmail.com
pls help me.

Rahul said, on June 20, 2010 4:41 AM:

i frogot my Password of gmail account and i dont remember the sequrity question also plz tell me how to retreav the password my id is girlcute798@gmail.com

rohit pal said, on July 15, 2010 2:35 AM:

i forgot gmail password how to recover password

pili said, on July 19, 2010 7:23 AM:

Could someone please, explain me if a password can get changed misteriously? it seems that my password has been changed without me knowing it. Thank you very much.

Devender said, on July 29, 2010 11:11 PM:

Could someone please, explain me if a password can get changed misteriously? it seems that my password has been changed without me knowing it. Thank you very much. my ultinate mail id devenderk1989@gmail.com

aksha said, on August 5, 2010 2:11 AM:

plz tell me how to find others password i m in need,can u help me its urgent.

deepak said, on August 14, 2010 1:41 AM:

give me my loss password

Nafeesa said, on August 14, 2010 7:02 PM:

Hi Dave,

I have forgotten my gmail password and trying to remember from so many days but all in vain. I have made my recovery email id as the original id and have forgotten my answer of security question. I'm using XP ... so is there any way that i can recover my password because i don't remember all the exact dates of my account activation. Please help me out in this unfortunate matter.

Thanks

Akshaya said, on August 31, 2010 1:37 AM:

i forget my gmail password how i will get, akshaya82@gmail.com

Regards,

akshaya

manoj said, on September 1, 2010 7:52 PM:

plz Solve this proble

jassu said, on September 7, 2010 5:05 AM:

please help me please please i forgot my password in gmail please

shuaib said, on September 7, 2010 5:29 PM:

Hi.

If you think you are so tallented then you dont you reply on how to hack gmail password, because I have forgotten the password/

prashanth said, on September 16, 2010 2:32 AM:

Hi sir...

iam forgotten my gmail password.. so plz forword my password sent to my same email id... my password save in my mobile..

natphyulay said, on September 21, 2010 7:48 PM:

I loss my gmail.

habeeba.z said, on October 5, 2010 8:16 AM:

Hey I forgot may gmail password and please help me to recovber that.It is very important becouase I send my CV to a Company and the reply will come to that gmail address.Soi please help me.You can contact me on this addres

pls send my gmail password . send other email id
habeeba.z@mphasis.com

varsha said, on October 8, 2010 7:05 AM:

i forget my gmail password how i will get puja143sharma@gmail.com

varsha said, on October 8, 2010 7:09 AM:

i frogot my Password of gmail account and i dont remember the sequrity question also plz tell me how to retreav the password i have the secondory account varshasharma.leo@gmail.com

sam said, on October 11, 2010 11:23 PM:

Hi Dave,

I have forgotten my gmail password and trying to remember from so many days but all in vain. I have made my recovery email id as the original id and have forgotten my answer of security question. I'm using XP ... so is there any way that i can recover my password because i don't remember all the exact dates of my account activation. Please help me out in this unfortunate matter.

Thanks

rakeshbasir said, on October 18, 2010 4:00 AM:

i have forgot my gmail password hw i will get rakeshbasir@gmail.com

daya said, on October 21, 2010 5:47 AM:

i lost my gmail password, kindly recover my password to the above mail. My emai id is: shrhiremath6@gmail.com. Need ur reply

praful said, on October 28, 2010 6:23 AM:

If one time you are forget your password gmail hack our account

narendra said, on October 31, 2010 6:58 AM:

hi, i have anothat have gmail account that is narendra1432k.but another person hack or change my password.so plz. help me how can i access this account.

swamini kulkarni said, on December 29, 2010 9:10 AM:

wan to access my account forgot assword doubtful someone is using kindly help me on priority how can i access my gmial account by giving new password i tried all steps which are required to access or chane password cannot work. kindly chk
reagrds,
Swaminik
9921177005

bilal said, on February 4, 2011 5:50 AM:

hi , brother i have lost my gmail password, as u know picassa also conected with gmail if i lose gmail password i lose picassa web album also. plz brother help me i dnt want to lose my web albums, plz contect me my gmail account is sheribaba@gmail.com

J.Ravichandra said, on March 30, 2011 10:13 PM:

hai i forget my gmail account is ravichandar.j@gmail.com password. please could u tell me how to know my account password.

anne said, on May 2, 2011 3:46 AM:

hi dave
'm anne, i have a very serious issue to tell you.my gmail account has been taken over by someone and i tried restoring the password but it was highly impossible. i tried filling out the password recovery form but the google team sent a mail saying the information was not enough.'m very frustrated because i tried downloading password crackers and did many a things to discover my password but was not succesful. i need your help for this issue

hari said, on June 21, 2011 12:03 PM:

forget passowrd

chetan said, on June 23, 2011 4:50 AM:

Dear Sir,
i forget my gmail password please send my password in my mob. no.9983642764

Dewashish Singh said, on June 24, 2011 3:36 AM:

I have forgotten my password of my Gmail account, and i don't have my secondary email and security questions. How can I recover my password? Please Hhelpme.

arfat shaikh said, on June 30, 2011 11:34 PM:

sir, i forgot my password please let me know my current password.

chris said, on July 8, 2011 3:31 PM:

Do you speek french ? I need to use the services of an free lance hacker to enter in the box mail of my lover. I know, it's not very fun for an hacker. Do you have a proposition ? Best.

Aravind said, on July 12, 2011 9:50 AM:

i lost my password in Syamana@gmail.com please help me..

Chris said, on July 22, 2011 5:09 AM:

Hi there, please help me retrieve my gmail accout. Thank you!

Niharika Gupta said, on August 3, 2011 1:13 PM:

Dear Sir,
I have forgotten my password of my Gmail account, and i don't have my secondary email and security questions. How can I recover my password? Please Help me.

Mayur said, on August 4, 2011 1:49 AM:

Helllo sir,
I forgetten my gmail password so plz send my current gmail password on other email id
mayur_mutha143@yahoo.com.
I hope ur positive reply.

mona said, on August 11, 2011 4:40 AM:

pls send my gmail password . send other email id
nidhisingh228@gmail.com pls send.

sahanadevadiga said, on September 10, 2011 7:11 AM:

i have a gmail account where i have my old contacts stored. i have forgotten the pw and security question. pl help me

Amit Dwivedi said, on September 16, 2011 11:16 PM:

Helllo sir,

I forgetten my gmail password so plz send my current gmail password on other email id
amitdwivedi65@yahoo.com.
I hope ur positive reply.

annu singh said, on September 16, 2011 11:27 PM:

hai i forget my gmail account is ravichandar.j@gmail.com password. please could u tell me how to know my account password

happy said, on September 27, 2011 3:34 AM:

i forgat my gamil passport

Saeed said, on September 27, 2011 11:31 PM:

i forget my gmail password how i will get,

saeedpinju@gmail.com

Regards
Saeed

sreekanth said, on October 17, 2011 1:42 AM:

sir i forget my gmail password .please send it to my another account amaravathi.n@rediffmail.com

Diwan said, on November 1, 2011 4:16 AM:

I Forget Samsung GT-C3303 Password Plz Tell Me New Password

rahul said, on November 18, 2011 11:29 PM:

hii i am rahul
my friend shubham had give wrong email id at govt. website there are very imp. email sent to a other person email: shubhamsarupria@gmail.com
plaese can you send her password to my id rahulsingh.chouham@gmail.com

Adam S. Johannesson said, on November 27, 2011 2:56 PM:

Hi Dave
I´m Adam, I have a very serious issue to tell you. My gmail account has been taken over by someone and I tried restoring the password but it was highly impossible. I tried filling out the password recovery form but the google team sent a mail saying the information was not enough. I'm very frustrated because I tried downloading password crackers and did many a things to discover my password but was not succesful. I need your help for this issue? I need password for the account: dammiasj7@gmail.com

maheshbarman. said, on December 5, 2011 5:30 AM:

dear sir
i am loss my passwod.pls.give my cureent password

Shree Chawariya said, on December 10, 2011 3:31 AM:

sir i forget my gmail password .my gmail id shreelovely5@gmail.com,,, please send it to my another account dsr84@rediffmail.com

kamana shukla said, on December 10, 2011 11:06 AM:

hi, i hav created my gmail account before 2 years ago.but before 9 months somebody hack my id nd change the password. problem is that i hav forgot my recovery emailid nd phone no. has been closed. so can u help me.....plz...

Ravi Kumar said, on December 17, 2011 9:39 PM:

Dear Sir & Gmail team
i frogot my Password of gmail account and i dont remember the sequrity question also plz tell me how to retreav the password i have the secondory account-ravikumar6095@gmail.com
can i recover passowrd immediately

Fast95Lane said, on December 24, 2011 2:03 AM:

i accidently lock my phone please sent me a gmail with the password that i forgot

M M said, on December 28, 2011 4:33 AM:

sir, i forgot my password please let me know my current password.
Thank you Sir

ngwe bhone said, on January 8, 2012 6:21 AM:

my passward lost.

sophia said, on January 15, 2012 4:03 AM:

some one is using my pw to do scam

kasis khan said, on January 16, 2012 1:35 AM:

i forget my passward

deepak said, on January 29, 2012 3:52 AM:

sir, i forgot my gmail password please help me

Neha said, on January 29, 2012 9:01 PM:

Sir,Im a girl n love some one very much,when Im in a relatioship I send him mail & now he blackmail me from this mail.I want to delete my mails from his id pls help me sir....

Kumar said, on January 31, 2012 2:28 PM:

Hey I forgot may gmail password and please help me to recovber that.It is very important becouase I send my CV to a Company and the reply will come to that gmail address.Soi please help me.You can contact me on this addres: p.g.kesavan@gmail.com

Balu said, on February 7, 2012 1:57 AM:

Hi tech support team, this is balu my sister has forgotten her password can you please tell me that how can we recover the password. I hope you will help for my query.

Thank you.

your's sincerely,
Balu.

ASHA TIRKEY said, on February 7, 2012 11:03 PM:

i lost my gmail password, kindly recover my password. My emai id was : nefario.66@gmail.com. Need ur reply

Khairulnisa said, on February 24, 2012 7:43 AM:

Kindly help me out to get password as i have forgot it and i even do not remember my secondary email and old cell number. reply me at syednasurullaha@yahoo.co.in

Manoj Kumar said, on March 8, 2012 11:46 PM:

Hey I forgot may gmail password and please help me to recovber that.It is very important becouase I send my CV to a Company and the reply will come to that gmail address.Soi please help me.You can contact me on this adders : immoni.2011@gmail.com

kalpana said, on March 13, 2012 4:49 AM:

pls send my pwd to another email address sankalpana0014@gmail.com

RAJKUMAR BEAR said, on March 15, 2012 6:31 AM:

I FORGET MY G MAIL PASS WORD PLEASE HACK AND SEND MY NEW PASS WORD. E MAIL :l- NIYATI.BERA@GMAIL.COM

faisal said, on March 16, 2012 1:22 PM:

newawami1122@gmail.com loss my password plz sen my password

minphone said, on April 4, 2012 4:32 AM:

Dear Sir .
i forgot my password & security questions ...
Please help me.
It is very important for my business.
Plz tell me how can i get back my password??
Thanks u. loss account name zarchiii@gmail.com

contect me . ktsm86@gmail.com

pradeep said, on April 7, 2012 1:36 AM:

Dear sir,
I know my user name but i forgot password because
I change my gmail password 3 month ago.But I can't remember the new password and I also don't remember my alternate email Id and phone number.But with the same user name and old password i use my facebook account please help me to recover my new gmail password.

contact me-:pradeepnegi1424@gmail.com

ike said, on April 10, 2012 7:14 AM:

I know my user name but i forgot password because
I change my yahoo mail password 1 month ago. But I can't remember the new password and I also don't remember my alternate email Id and phone number. But with the same user name and old password i use my facebook account please help me to recover my new yahoo mail password.

gagan said, on April 24, 2012 10:52 AM:

i forgote my document passward as wall as hint of the passward. so help me to open it.

sushi52 said, on May 10, 2012 1:07 PM:

Some Hackers change my account settings and change the recovery option also.I can't access my account. I'm the only owner of the this account. Please kindly take more action to retrieve my account..........choco8285@gmail.com

george said, on August 8, 2012 5:39 AM:

forgot my password some one changed it on 8th may 2012,plus my associated email was deleted.and the secret question changed you can get me on chantowachira@gmail.com

nilesh jariya said, on August 28, 2012 9:07 AM:

i lost my gmail password, kindly recover my password. My emai id was nileshjariya1818@gmail.com . need ur reply ..

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

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Lost Gmail password from auto-password generator?

Reader Comments To Date: 103

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