How do I convert a password into asterisks while it is being entered?

If you want a solution that works on Windows/macOS/Linux and on Python 2 & 3, you can install the pwinput module (formerly called stdiomask):

pip install pwinput

Unlike getpass.getpass() (which is in the Python Standard Library), the pwinput module can display *** mask characters as you type. It is also cross-platform, while getpass is Linux and macOS only.

Example usage:

>>> pwinput.pwinput()
Password: *********
'swordfish'
>>> pwinput.pwinput(mask='X') # Change the mask character.
Password: XXXXXXXXX
'swordfish'
>>> pwinput.pwinput(prompt='PW: ', mask='*') # Change the prompt.
PW: *********
'swordfish'
>>> pwinput.pwinput(mask='') # Don't display anything.
Password:
'swordfish'

Unfortunately this module, like Python's built-in getpass module, doesn't work in IDLE or Jupyter Notebook.

More details at https://pypi.org/project/pwinput/

You can do this:

# if getch module is available, then we implement our own getpass() with asterisks,
# otherwise we just use the plain boring getpass.getpass()
try:
    import getch
    def getpass(prompt):
        """Replacement for getpass.getpass() which prints asterisks for each character typed"""
        print(prompt, end='', flush=True)
        buf = ''
        while True:
            ch = getch.getch()
            if ch == '\n':
                print('')
                break
            else:
                buf += ch
                print('*', end='', flush=True)
        return buf
except ImportError:
    from getpass import getpass

first install the library:

pip install stdiomask

note that you install std io mask not studiomask...

And then the code is:

password = stdiomask.getpass() # It will ask to enter password and display * on the screen

print(password)

This is the output:

Password: *****
google

while using getpass in python, nothing is indicated to show a password input.

this can be resolved by this simple solution:

just copy the ‘getpass_ak.py’ module provided in the link to python’s Lib folder.

https://starrernet.wixsite.com/analytix/python-coder

use the following code:

import getpass_ak

a = (getpass_ak.getpass('password: '))

this will add * to your password inputs.

For anyone who would actually want to have asterisks appear, here's an improvement on Tigran Aivazian's answer. This version imports the built-in msvcrt.getch, adds cases for different line endings when hitting 'Enter/Return', and includes logic to support Backspace, as well as Ctrl+C (KeyboardInterrupt):

try:
    from msvcrt import getch
    def getpass(prompt):
        """Replacement for getpass.getpass() which prints asterisks for each character typed"""
        print(prompt, end='', flush=True)
        buf = b''
        while True:
            ch = getch()
            if ch in {b'\n', b'\r', b'\r\n'}:
                print('')
                break
            elif ch == b'\x08': # Backspace
                buf = buf[:-1]
                print(f'\r{(len(prompt)+len(buf)+1)*" "}\r{prompt}{"*" * len(buf)}', end='', flush=True)
            elif ch == b'\x03': # Ctrl+C
                raise KeyboardInterrupt
            else:
                buf += ch
                print('*', end='', flush=True)
        return buf.decode(encoding='utf-8')
except ImportError:
    from getpass import getpass

Please feel free to suggest any other changes, or ways to improve this; I hacked the changes together pretty quickly, especially with the Backspace logic.

I have combined the answers of @Tigran Aivazian and @Ahndwoo into fully working solution:

• ! additional code for the backspace {b'\x08', b'\x7f'}: # Backspace is added
• for the Ctrl+C combination the silent return is used. The raise KeyboardInterrupt is commented now, but can be uncommented for raise the error.

# if getch module is available, then we implement our own getpass() with asterisks,
# otherwise we just use the plain boring getpass.getpass()
try:
    from getch import getch
    def getpass(prompt):
        """Replacement for getpass.getpass() which prints asterisks for each character typed"""
        print(prompt, end='', flush=True)
        buf = b''
        while True:
            ch = getch().encode()
            if ch in {b'\n', b'\r', b'\r\n'}:
                print('')
                break
            elif ch == b'\x03': # Ctrl+C
                # raise KeyboardInterrupt
                return ''
            elif ch in {b'\x08', b'\x7f'}: # Backspace
                buf = buf[:-1]
                print(f'\r{(len(prompt)+len(buf)+1)*" "}\r{prompt}{"*" * len(buf)}', end='', flush=True)
            else:
                buf += ch
                print('*', end='', flush=True)

        return buf.decode(encoding='utf-8')
except ImportError:
    from getpass import getpass

password = getpass('Enter password: ')
print(password)

My own suggestion is -- DO NOT DO IT!

Don't reinvent the wheel, use a password helper if you want 'stars'

Instead do something like the following pseudo-code... If the TTY_ASSPASS environment variable is set -- call that password helper. There are a number available, including "systemd-ask-password" If there is a TTY - fall back to read no echo (getpass.getpass()) If there is no TTY, - fall back just read STDIN with rstrip()

This not only lets the user select a password input program (via an environment variable (or some other confuguration), but also lets them substitute for other sources of passwords, like GUI input, or collecting password from a pre-opened keyring password daemon, or elsewhere

Don't restrict or otherwise limit where passwords come from!

For notes on password helpers see.. https://antofthy.gitlab.io/info/crypto/passwd_input.txt

For a shell script password helper https://antofthy.gitlab.io/software/#askpass_stars

Looks like Andrei Krivoshei answer has already made a start on that, resulting in something very similar, but still in its infancy.