Q I only ever use my Mac at home, and do not need passwords that I enter to be hidden as I type. Can I change them to show correct characters, so I can take a screenshot for my records?

A Some hacks have tried to make characters in passwords visible, but should be treated with suspicion: it is not a matter of just changing font, as the splodges shown are not characters from a special password font, they are put there by the software.

However, depending on the precise mechanics of the browser and site, most such passwords should be stored in your keychain, and your browser may well give you easy access to them. Safari, for example, lists them if you click on the Passwords tool in its Preferences dialog. You can then select the entries you wish to view, and check the box Show passwords for selected websites, which will then prompt you to authenticate in order to do so.

You can also check then by starting Keychain Access, in the /Applications/Utilities folder. When you click on the box to show a password, you may need to authenticate, but you can then see your logon details and password for every supported site. For those that are not entered here – or generally – there are several shareware tools designed to store passwords securely, or you can use a small notebook, which can be locked away when you wish. Then even if your hard disk crashes and you lose everything from it, your written copy should survive.

Further information about the keychain is here.

Updated from the original, which was first published in MacUser volume 26 issue 7, 2010.