Google is adding its password checking feature to Android. The move will allow users of the Android OS to have an easy way to check if the passwords they are using have been compromised. Password Checkup checks the credentials used against a list of billions of compromised credentials.
In recent years, attacks have come hard and fast, leading to more compromised passwords that people are still using.
If Password Checkup finds something, it will prompt the users by taking them to Google’s password manager page where they have a way to review the security of their credentials or change them.
Started from an extension, now we here
Google introduced the features in early 2019 but back then, it was only in the form of a Chrome extension. In October of the same year, the feature was added to Google Password Manager. The dashboard examines Web passwords saved in Chrome that are synchronized to the Google Account.
After two months, the company added the features to Chrome.
Google’s Password Manager is an easy way for users to directly visit sites with bad or weak passwords. All they have to do is click on ‘Change Password’ and get it done.
The Autofill feature
The new password checking feature was made available to Android 9 and above as of Tuesday. Users of autofill with Android will be able to deploy it. The Autofill framework uses advanced encryption to make sure that passwords and other information are available only to the rightful users.
Google has access to user credentials only when the users have saved the credential to Google or were offered to save a password by the Android OS and opted in.
Now, users can make sure that even Autofill is not used without biometrics authentication before adding credentials to an app or Web field.