Google announces new Credential Manager to make it easier to use passkeys

Google is making it easier to use passkeys with the new Credential Manager, rolling out on November 1.

Google’s new Credential Manager for Android helps you use passkeys and also works with your password managers. (Image: Google)

Listen to this article

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

Google has announced that its new Credential Manager will start rolling out to Android devices on November 1. The tool, which is like a one-stop destination for all your login needs, stores all your credentials and makes it easier to use passkeys.

Passkeys are an entirely new way to log into online accounts and are being hailed by big tech as a replacement for passwords. They are essentially digital credentials that allow users to log into websites and applications without using passwords.

Google’s new Credential Manager takes passkeys to the next level by guiding users to use the right authentication method. For instance, if the app/website supports passkeys, the tool will suggest users log in with those since they’re more secure. But if there’s no support, you’ll have the option to use the saved password to log in as usual.

The new Credential Manager is also designed to be used with any password managers you may have installed on your device and does not replace them. You’ll be presented with an option to log in using an installed password manager, or multiple options if you’ve several of those.

Just like Apple and Microsoft, Google has been actively pushing users to use passkeys to log in wherever they’re supported. Recently, the search engine giant made passkeys the default method for logging into Google accounts. In addition, several popular apps support passkeys and are already integrated with Credential Manager, including Uber and WhatsApp.

When Credential Manager rolls out, Android users should be able to start using it without the need to enable anything on their end.

Tags:
Google