> I doubt this is an Edge-specific issue.

It absolutely ain't Edge-specific. Firefox (AFAICT) also keeps stored passwords in clear-text unless encrypted with a passphrase (which is not the default on desktop; on Android there's a fingerprint/PIN check to access them, but I don't know offhand if there's any encryption involved with that).

Really this is true of most credentials stored within applications; unless you're providing a decryption key on open (whether explicitly or on OS-level login using some keychain mechanism), the stored credentials are probably plaintext.

Or unless you need to reenter password/offer fingerprint after certain amount of time. Which, I think, should be the actual standard, and typically is with the apps like Bitwarden.