Google has announced that from today onwards, it will let Android users sign in to some of its services on Chrome using their fingerprints, instead of a password. The feature will be rolling out to all users running Android 7 or later within a few days.
According to the help page available on the company’s official website, the feature will also allow users to log in using any method they prefer to unlock their phone including pin and pattern unlock.
As of now, Android phones allow users to use their fingerprint to authenticate Google Pay purchases and log in to apps. However, after this feature is implemented, they will also be able to use the same fingerprint to access Google’s web services available on the Chrome browser.
Google also plans to add the feature to more Google and Google Cloud services in the near future.
The change by Google will add more convenience to the users since they won’t have to remember passwords. It will also make their device more secure and minimize the risk of hacks and phishing attempts.
If you are also using an Android 7 or later version, you can also try out the new feature by logging in to passwords.google.com through its Chrome app. the page will allow you to modify all the passwords saved by Chrome on the device and choose a different method of authentication rather than passwords.
The new functionality by Google is built using FIDO2 and the WebAuthn protocol, an open standard that is used by websites to secure logins via browsers. FIDO2 is claimed to be more secure than using traditional type-password method and is equipped in all Android devices running on version 7.0 or later.
Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
Read next: Clicker Trojan found in 34 popular Android apps
According to the help page available on the company’s official website, the feature will also allow users to log in using any method they prefer to unlock their phone including pin and pattern unlock.
As of now, Android phones allow users to use their fingerprint to authenticate Google Pay purchases and log in to apps. However, after this feature is implemented, they will also be able to use the same fingerprint to access Google’s web services available on the Chrome browser.
Google also plans to add the feature to more Google and Google Cloud services in the near future.
The change by Google will add more convenience to the users since they won’t have to remember passwords. It will also make their device more secure and minimize the risk of hacks and phishing attempts.
If you are also using an Android 7 or later version, you can also try out the new feature by logging in to passwords.google.com through its Chrome app. the page will allow you to modify all the passwords saved by Chrome on the device and choose a different method of authentication rather than passwords.
The new functionality by Google is built using FIDO2 and the WebAuthn protocol, an open standard that is used by websites to secure logins via browsers. FIDO2 is claimed to be more secure than using traditional type-password method and is equipped in all Android devices running on version 7.0 or later.
Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
Read next: Clicker Trojan found in 34 popular Android apps
