Whether you belong to whatever field of life, you cannot isolate yourself from today’s connected world. NordPass estimate that every average internet user has 70 to 80 passwords. Because today every online service is linked with a username and password, and It is tough to remember every credential of our mobile phone apps and website.
For this purpose, different password managers utilities are in the market, some are paid, and some are free. These password manager utilities have robust mechanisms to generate complex passwords for each user. These utilities also safeguard its user from phishing, and if it does not recognize the URL on which you usually enter your login credentials, the autofill feature of these software managers will stop working.
Google’s Chrome browser has had built-in biometric authentication in Android and IOS for some time, and recently Google has revealed that this will also be made available for Desktop PC.
This additional security layer (biometric authentication), such as fingerprint or facial recognition, will be required before passwords are auto-filled by Chrome. The availability of specific biometric options will depend on the PC hardware and operating system compatibility. Google has not provided any specific release date for this feature, only mentioning that it is coming soon.
Regarding desktop usage, password manager by google now has its dedicated section within Chrome. Users can access the tool by clicking on the “Password Manager” shortcut in the Chrome menu, the “Manage passwords” button that appears during autofill prompts, or the newly introduced desktop shortcut.
On iOS, Password Manager will soon include features such as identifying weak and reused passwords through Google’s Password Checkup tool (expected in the coming months). Additionally, there will be an improved autofill prompt and grouping for multiple accounts, aimed at simplifying the process of signing in and managing long lists of passwords (anticipated to be released this week).
These updates to Password Manager are not limited to specific platforms. Across both desktop and mobile, users can now add notes to saved credentials, including multiple logins for a single website or associated PINs. On a PC, the notes feature can be accessed by clicking the “key” icon while logged into a website. Furthermore, Password Manager now provides a streamlined way to import passwords from other password manager apps. Chrome can directly import passwords via a .csv file on a PC, assuming compatibility with the previous password manager’s format.
These updates come approximately a year after Google unified its Chrome and Android password managers, offering a consistent look-and-feel along with features like automatic password alerts in case of a compromised password due to a data breach.
Although Password Manager is primarily a free service and not a significant revenue source, Google recognizes the importance of maintaining its competitiveness. The continuous improvements to Password Manager incentivize users to choose Chrome and benefit from other Google apps and services.
