How to Get Someone’s Password Easily [if Forgotten]

Last Updated on November 16, 2023

Someone you know has forgotten their password, and now they need help. Well, here is your chance to step in as their recovery hero. It could be a friend, a family relative, or even someone you are just meeting for the first time. Whoever is in question, this post will help you get someone’s password easily, just as in those sci-fi movies.

However, I am keeping this tutorial basic so that anyone can get to know someone’s password. You will eventually find this skill helpful if you forget your own password and have no recovery method for it. This guide will also help you access various accounts—including social media profiles, streaming services, and apps—across any device, including computers, phones (iOS and Android), and tablets. So, if someone you know has been locked out, there is a high chance of password recovery if they have forgotten their password.

How to Get Someone’s Password Easily

When someone you know can’t remember a password, don’t worry—there are easy ways to find it, whether it is on a computer, phone, or tablet. I have been able to help many recover their lost passwords, and it is usually a matter of minutes, depending on what you are dealing with. Getting back a social media account can even be easier if you follow any of these methods to get someone’s password easily.

Find the Device’s Stored Passwords

Let’s start with phones and tablets. Android and iOS are two of the most common operating systems, so it is more likely that the person’s device runs on Android or iOS. Now, most iPhone users save login information in a keychain (for iPhone and iPad) or Google Passwords (for Android devices). If you can access these features, you will see all the stored passwords in plain text. However, you will need to enter the device’s PIN or use a biometric scan to access them.

iOS

If the person uses an iPhone or iPad, you can try asking Siri first. While the screen is unlocked, say, “Hey Siri, show me my passwords.” You can even ask for a specific account, such as Netflix.

Alternatively, you can open the Settings app, go to Passwords, enter the PIN or biometric, and finally select a website or app to get someone’s password easily.

Android

1. Open Chrome.
2. Tap the three dots in the top-right corner.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Select Passwords.
5. Choose a password.
6. Tap Show password or the eyeball icon to know password of others.

Check the Password Manager on the Browser

If the person entered their password on a computer, you could be able to help retrieve it once you have access to the computer. On most browsers, you are allowed to save the login information automatically. The password is then shown in plain text after you enter the primary password for the computer. Below is how I use this method to help get someone’s password easily in different browsers:

1. Google Chrome
   • Click the three dots in the top-right corner.
   • Select Settings.
   • Click Autofill on the left.
   • Click Password Manager in the main panel.
   • Click the eyeball next to the saved password to easily know password of others.
2. Microsoft Edge
   • Click the three dots in the top-right corner.
   • Select Settings.
   • Click Passwords on the right.
   • Click the eyeball next to the saved password to display someone’s password.
3. Safari
   • Click on the Safari menu.
   • Select Preferences.
   • Click Passwords.
   • Select a website, and click Edit to see the password of someone.
4. Firefox
   • Click the three-line menu in the top-right corner.
   • Select Settings.
   • Click Privacy & Security on the left.
   • Scroll down and click Saved Logins.
   • Select a login, and then click the eyeball to easily see someone’s password.

Since you are helping someone recover their lost password, you will need them to unlock access to the password manager. Depending on the model of their PC, they can access the password manager by confirming their fingerprint, face ID, or just entering the PC password.

Install a Keylogger

With a keylogger tool, you can record every keystroke made on a device. This tool will be handy if someone frequently forgets their password and needs help remembering their password keys. Keyloggers are generally an effective way to capture forgotten passwords. They are available as software and hardware.

For the software keyloggers, you have to install them on a computer or even a smartphone. The keylogger will install itself at the root of the system, where it monitors or works as a man in the middle of the keyboard. They simply interrupt the OS. So, as the person types in their password, it records the keystrokes that you would be referring to if they ever forget their password. Keyloggers can also work a layer above that. You can log keystrokes either to a file or write them to a network.

Some legitimate software-based keyloggers include the following:

1. StupidKeyLogger
2. WebWatcher
3. Revealer
4. Kidlogger
5. Spyrix

While downloading keylogger software, you want to be sure that it comes from a reputable website to avoid scams that turn out to log and steal passwords.

On the other hand, there is a hardware keylogger. This is a physical electronic bit that you physically insert between the keyboard and the computer. You have to take apart the keyboard and solder it directly to the keyboard’s PCB, where the logged text if given a special key command, will be dumped. You can use a USB dongle that the keyboard plugs into to retrieve the person’s password later.

Crack the Password (for Advanced Use Only)

You might be able to get someone’s password through ‘cracking’, a common term for figuring out a password. Password cracking tools can retrieve passwords from different operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS.

If you have a cracking tool, you just have to combine different methods such as brute force, dictionary attacks, masks, and hybrid passwords to know someone’s password. However, these tools are generally suited for advanced users who have access to the hash or shadowed version of the password. Some commonly used password-cracking tools are John the Ripper (which comes pre-installed in Kali Linux), Wfuzz, Mimikatz, and Hashcat. If the person you are trying to help okays this method, then go ahead with it; you will crack the password if you know what you are doing.

Inspect the Papers in Their Home or Office

It is very possible to easily get someone’s password on paper in their home or office. According to a Vox publication, the best defense against hackers is ‘paper’. So, you can leverage this defense system to help someone find their password.

1 in 3 people write down computer passwords on paper. People often jot down their passwords on sticky notes, including notebooks or other scraps of paper, to prevent forgetting them. So, there is a chance that the person you are helping has their password on a piece of paper somewhere in the room.

A good place to start is by thoroughly searching the area around the computer. Look out for any sticky notes, lists in notebooks, or even specialized password journals where the person may be storing login information.

Use the Forgot Password Link to Reset the Password

‘Websites or apps you can’t log in to allow you to reset the password. Use the ‘Forgot Password’ link to get someone’s password recovered. You should find this link below the field where you enter the username and password. Click the ‘Forgot Password’ button for options to reset the password. It could be via email, text message (SMS), or by answering security questions.

Now, the way forward is to have access to any of these recovery options. So, you need access to the person’s email or phone number associated with the account. Make sure to show the person how it is done and allow them to enter a new password they will not forget and that is not vulnerable to hackers.

Guess the Password

If you are familiar with the person, you could try to help them guess their password. This method has a lower success rate and can be risky since too many incorrect guesses could lock you out of the device or account. Before you guess someone’s correct password, do the following:

1. Know the password’s minimum length.
2. Determine the use of upper- and lower-case letters.
3. Consider if the person uses a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols or just numbers.

Think this out carefully with the affected person to be able to establish what their current password could be. You can ask questions like:

• Do you remember your previous password?
• What inspires your choice of password?
• Do you combine letters, numbers, and symbols?
• How long do you make your passwords?
• What or who is your favorite [pet, color, friend, etc.]?

Passwords or PINs tend to be simpler for iPhones or Android phones. If the person uses a PIN, then the password is numeric and could be a section of their phone number, date of birth, or a special number. If they set the password as their login option, they might have included alphabets, so it could be alphanumeric, whereby the alphabet could be the name of their friend, pet, or place.

Search for Files that Contain Passwords

Sometimes, people store their passwords in plain text files on their computers. This method is widely considered insecure, but people still find it convenient for password storage. Therefore, skimming through computer files might help you get someone’s password easily. If the person you are helping has such a file, try searching the computer for files with names like ‘Password’ or the relevant username.

Windows

On Windows computers, first, enable the feature that allows you to search for specific text within documents.

1. Press the Windows key + S and type “index”.
2. Go to Indexing Options.
3. Click Advanced.
4. Select the File Types tab.
5. Select Index Properties and File Contents.
6. Click OK.
7. Now open File Explorer and click This PC.
8. Type “password” (or the relevant username or site) into the top-right search bar to bring up all files containing the word “password”.

Mac

If the person uses a Mac, do the following:

1. Open Finder.
2. Press Command + F to open the Find feature.
3. Select Kind from the first drop-down menu and “Text” from the second.
4. Type “password” (or the relevant username or site) into the top-right field to locate all files containing the word “password”.

Read also: How Hackers Hack a Facebook Account Password