Google adds biometric authentication to Chrome password manager

Google has made it possible to secure data from the Chrome password manager behind biometric security. That starts with credit card information; these are only filled in if the user, for example, provides his fingerprint.

Google says that when initially providing the credit card information, the so-called card verification code, or CVC, must still be supplied, but after that a fingerprint is sufficient. The function is optional, so if you don’t want to give your fingerprint or other biometric data to Google, you don’t have to. With this introduction, Google is following in the footsteps of competing password managers, such as LastPass, Firefox Lockwise, 1Password, Dashlane and KeePass with a plugin.

Google says it uses the W3C standard webauthn for biometric authentication. It also says that the credit card information does not arrive at the device until authentication is successful and that the biometric data itself resides only on the device.

The feature is already available in the Chrome browser for Windows and macOS, according to Google, and the Android variant should get the gadget “ in the coming weeks. ” Furthermore, the pop-up that offers to enter usernames and passwords has also been given a facelift, but nothing has changed from a functional point of view.