Android users can finally join the realm of the easy login life. Google revealed Monday that Credential Manager will arrive on Android devices beginning Nov. 1, ushering in the next phase of the company’s conversion to passkeys. This also means Android users will finally have the iPhone’s FaceID-like unlocking mechanisms available for authentication across the platform.
Google has been pushing users toward passkeys since it announced the switchover at its developer conference in the spring. Earlier this month, passkey support for Google accounts as the default login mechanism went live. You may have already encountered a prompt to turn on passkeys.
Passkeys are more secure than regular alphanumeric passwords and two-factor authentication as they rely on a PIN, fingerprint, or face to log into certain apps and accounts. They are considered more secure because of their relative phishing resistance. A hacker would need access to your physical device to get into your accounts, essentially turning the smartphone into the digital cluster of keys you carry everywhere.
The Credential Manager that Google is rolling out will help manage all those different login methods on your Android device—from Google apps to third-party ones. Perhaps it’ll inspire an iOS-like security flow where all you have to do is look into the front-facing camera to drop cash on in-game purchases carelessly.
For a while, I preferred using the iPhone to watch TikTok Lives because I could use Apple’s FaceID to re-up on coins. It was merely a few seconds faster than scanning in my thumb through Google Play on a Pixel device, but it was fluid. I had no time to think about what I was spending my money on.
The upside to this rolling out on Android is that developers must get their apps in line to support passkeys, ensuring more adoption throughout the Android platform. The Credential Manager and Passkeys will only support devices running Android 9 and up. Any devices older than that, down to Android 4.4, will rely solely on passwords and Sign in with Google, which uses your Google account as authentication rather than biometric data or a PIN.
Google lauds companies like Uber and eBay for already using passkeys. But if you’re not too keen on the new technology, you can opt out by selecting the Skip Password when Possible option in your Google account settings.