(Credit: Google/PCMag)
Google has made it easier to swap your saved passwords between different password managers on Android, and will now allow you to transfer passkeys across different managers for the first time.
When you open up your password manager app, you can now click on a new option to import or copy your passwords and passkeys from another provider. The password manager will then hand the task over to Android, which will detect existing password managers on your device and show you which one it supports.
Tap Continue and Android will bring you to your existing password manager to select, review, and authorize the transfer. After verifying your identity, Android will complete the migration automatically, meaning there is no need to manually import and export your logins via a CSV file (which can open up security issues of its own).
The new feature uses the Credential Exchange Format (CXF), a standardized data structure published by the FIDO Alliance, designed to help users move log-ins between different password managers.
The feature is already available for Google Password Manager, 1Password, Bitwarden Password Manager, and Dashlane. Google says it will roll out integrations with more password managers in the future, though it didn't give a firm timeline.
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You don't need a modern device to get the feature to work; any device running 2017's Android 8 and above is supported.
Password managers are becoming increasingly mainstream. As of 2023, more than one third (34%) of Americans say they're using some kind of password management tool, according to a study from Security.org, though the majority (63%) are opting for free services.
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I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.
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