Before you export anything
A CSV of every password you own is the most sensitive file you are likely to create. The procedure is short; the main risk is leaving the file behind.
- Create and unlock the new vault, and turn on two-step login for it.
- Write down or store its recovery method (recovery code, Emergency Kit) somewhere other than the vault itself.
- Pause backup software and cloud folder sync for the folder you will export into; 1Password's Chrome guide says to temporarily turn off backup software so the unencrypted export is not backed up. [1]
- Decide where the file will live for the next 30 minutes, and nowhere else. Do not email it or put it in a shared drive.
Step 1: export from the browser
Chrome: Google's help page gives the path More, Passwords and autofill, Google Password Manager, Settings, Export passwords, Download file. [2]
Apple Passwords on Mac: Apple documents File, Export All Passwords to File, and says the exported passwords are not encrypted and are visible to anyone with access to the file; delete it after importing. Apple also lists what cannot be exported: Wi-Fi passwords, passwords shared with a group you did not create, and access to Sign in with Apple accounts. Bitwarden's Safari guide notes the export can be saved without encryption to iCloud Drive, so check where it landed. [3][4]
Step 2: import into the new vault
Sources: Bitwarden Chrome and Safari import pages, 1Password Chrome import page, NordPass import and Chrome export pages, accessed 13 October 2026. [5][4][1][6][7]
| Vault | What its help page says | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Bitwarden | Two methods for Chrome: export then import the file, or import directly from the browser in the desktop app (Windows and macOS when installed from Bitwarden's downloads page; not app-store versions). Safari and Firefox exports are supported. | After import, delete the export file; Bitwarden also suggests you may want to delete data from the old tool. |
| 1Password | Imports from Chrome and Safari CSV files. | Only passwords import. Credit cards, addresses, passkeys and other information are not imported. Safari export needs a Mac with Safari 15 or later. |
| NordPass | Imports saved passwords on desktop; the Android app can import from browsers. Accepts CSV files from several managers and a spreadsheet option. | NordPass suggests deleting the export file after import because it is not safe to keep it decrypted on your device. |
Step 3: check before you delete anything
This is our proposed acceptance check, not a test we performed. We have not imported a real vault into any of these products.
- Count items: the vault total should be close to the browser total. A large gap means a failed or partial import.
- Open ten logins at random, including one with a subdomain and one with a long note, and confirm username, password and URL.
- Sign in to three real sites on your phone and computer using the new vault's autofill.
- Check items the import does not carry, such as passkeys and saved cards; plan to re-create or keep them.
Step 4: clean up in the right order
- Delete the CSV export and empty the trash or recently deleted folder.
- Re-enable backups and cloud sync only after the file is gone.
- Turn off the browser's offer to save passwords. Chrome documents an "Offer to save passwords and passkeys" toggle. [2]
- Delete passwords from the browser only after the new vault works on every device. Chrome documents "Delete all Google Password Manager data", which removes passwords and passkeys; consider keeping passkeys if your new vault did not import them. [2]
- NordPass's Chrome article also suggests deleting your passwords from Chrome afterward and never sending the export file over email or untrusted channels. [7]
Common mistakes
Exporting into a synced Desktop or Documents folder, so the file uploads to the cloud before you notice. Deleting browser passwords before testing the new vault on the phone. Assuming passkeys moved: 1Password's Chrome import does not import passkeys, and NordPass's passkey FAQ says there is no option to import or export passkeys to password managers. [8] Running two managers that both offer to save new passwords.
If something goes wrong mid-move, the browser copy is your rollback. That is why deletion is the last step, not the second.
Questions before you decide
Is the exported password file encrypted?
No. Apple, Bitwarden, 1Password and NordPass help pages all warn that the export is unencrypted and should be deleted after import.
Will my passkeys move too?
Do not assume so. 1Password states its Chrome import brings only passwords. Plan to keep passkeys where they are or create new ones in the new vault.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- 1Password: import from Chrome Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- Google Chrome Help: manage passwords in Google Password Manager Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- Apple Support: export passwords from Passwords on Mac Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- Bitwarden: import from Safari Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- Bitwarden: import from Chrome Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- NordPass: how to import passwords Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- NordPass: export passwords from Chrome to NordPass Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- NordPass: passkeys FAQs Accessed 13 Oct 2026
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