There’s no getting around it, passwords are a real pain, but they are also essential for staying secure online. However, coming up with a complex password for every site and service–as well as staying on top of when one of your passwords has been breached–has never been more difficult.
That’s why many of us are guilty of reusing the same password across multiple sites. Even with a password manager, it’s often too much to keep up with. Thankfully, Google is looking to relieve some of the pain points of password management with a new feature in Chrome.
If you use the Chrome browser, you’ve probably already seen pop-ups notifying you of compromised passwords, but now, Google is taking it a step further. From now on, Google Chrome will be able to help you change your leaked or breached passwords with a single tap.
It all starts whenever you check your passwords in Chrome, or it detects a password that could be compromised which will prompt the “Change password button.” Next, after you tap the button, Chrome will forward you to the website and assist you through the entire process of changing your password to a more secure one.
Google does note that this only works on “supported sites” and it’s difficult to tell which sites those include since there is no official list. However, even if the site isn’t supported, Chrome can still help you create a strong password.
This feature builds on Google’s Duplex on the Web technology, which it has used in the past to help you make dinner reservations or buy movie tickets on the web. Duplex helps automate and simplify arduous tasks which often require a lot of tedious repetitive actions. You know, the kind that typically dissuades you from doing something just thinking of all the hoops you’ll have to jump through.
The automated password feature is rolling out beginning in the U.S., with more sites and countries becoming available in the future. It will be available gradually to Chrome users on Android, but Google hasn’t mentioned when it may be seen on Chromebooks or Windows machines.
