New Google Chrome update lets users sign in without typing a password, here’s how it works

Google has launched a new security feature for Chrome. Now users can log in with a password. Here are the details.

By Divya Bhati: Google launches passkeys for Chrome users. After a testing phase that started in October, Google integrated the passwordless secure login process into Chrome Stable M108. The new password feature will work across both desktop and mobile devices running Windows 11, macOS and Android. Additionally, Google also allows users to sync their security key from Android to other devices while working with Chrome, either through its own password manager or supported third-party apps.

Access keys are a unique digital identity that can be stored on your devices, including your computer, phone or other devices such as a USB security key to help you with easy and secure access. The access keys allow users to log in to websites or applications through a quick and easy authentication with the device’s biometrics or other secure verification.

“On a desktop device, you can also choose to use a passkey from your nearby mobile device, and since passkeys are built on industry standards, you can use either an Android or iOS device. A passkey doesn’t leave your mobile device when you sign Just a securely generated code is exchanged with the site, so unlike a password, nothing can leak,” Google explained in its blog post.

“On Chrome on Android, access keys are stored in Google Password Manager, which synchronizes passwords between the user’s Android devices signed in to the same Google Account,” the blog post further noted.

Importantly, passwords are said to be better than passwords as users have the ability to log into apps and websites using a biometric sensor (such as fingerprint or facial recognition), PIN or pattern, eliminating the hassle of remembering or managing password. Also, if the passwords are set using biometrics, the chance of passwords being leaked is also eliminated, making the new technology safer. It provides robust protection against phishing attacks, unlike SMS or app-based one-time passwords.

How will passkeys work on Google Chrome

Just like passwords, when a user logs into a Google account, the device or website will ask for the password. To authenticate the login, users simply need to use their fingerprint or saved passwords. Users will be able to use the device’s screen unlock to complete the login.

In particular, the concept of passwords is not new as many companies, including Google, Apple, Microsoft, PayPal, and eBay, are replacing passwords with passwords to offer password-less login processes on websites or apps that are both more efficient and safer. As this technology is adopted by major tech giants such as Apple and Google, the use of passkeys is said to become device agnostic.