Google Chrome is getting a new feature that will allow you to directly edit and manage your saved passwords, a feature you’d generally expect to find in a dedicated password manager.
Like any modern web browser, Chrome can save usernames and passwords for you, and auto-complete forms to prevent you from typing them in every time. However, it’s not perfect, and so far every time you update an account password, you need to be signed in to your Google account to make the necessary changes.
It may seem like a fairly minor inconvenience, but if you follow best practices and update your passwords regularly, it can be a real hassle. However, as 9to5Google reports, a recently released code change suggests that managing your logins within Chrome will become much easier.
Like many new features, the option will first appear as a flag that can be activated by visiting Chrome: // flags and activate it. The option is not yet available, but when it arrives it will be called EditPasswordInDesktopSettings. We will notify you when it is available for testing.
A new more secure Chrome?
Chrome isn’t ready to replace a proper password manager (for example, it doesn’t generate new and strong passwords for your accounts, nor does it provide a digital vault for sensitive documents), but it’s getting there.
In December last year, Google introduced a new tool that alerts you if one of your saved passwords has been leaked in a data breach. If you try to log into a compromised account, the browser will warn you about the problem and advise you to change your password as soon as possible.
It will be interesting to see if Google takes password management even further, perhaps in the footsteps of Mozilla, whose Firefox Lockwise password manager is built into the browser.
Unlike other browser-based password tools, Lockwise allows you to use your login details in other applications, and can be accessed through biometric verification. It also has a timer that turns you off after a certain period of inactivity for added peace of mind. If Chrome could do the same, it would be a great help to the browser.
