Google Chrome is getting a new ability to fix your hacked password fast. It’s standard for web browsers to warn you when your password is found on a list of hacked passwords, but now Google’s browser also will be able to fix it with a tap of a button.
When Google spots a vulnerable password, Google Assistant will offer a “change password” button, Google announced at its Google I/O developers conference on Tuesday. It will arrive in Chrome on Android in the United States but will spread to other browsers and regions later. It only works on Twitter and a “small number” of other sites initially, and you need to enable Chrome password sync.
The feature reflects the growing importance of password managers. We’re bad at creating hard-to-crack passwords and even worse at remembering them, but password managers handle the grunt work. They’re built into operating systems and browsers, but many people use standalone password managers that work across different browsers.
Website developers aren’t required to change their sites to take advantage of the feature, Google said in a statement. “We’ll be in touch with developers as we continue to expand the feature.”
Ultimately, Google hopes to banish passwords altogether.
“The single most common security vulnerability today is still bad passwords,” said Jen Fitzpatrick, a Google senior vice president, at Google I/O. “Ultimately, we’re on a mission to create a password-free future. … We want to free everyone from password pain.”
