You can now share your account logins and passwords with your loved ones thanks to a new feature in Google Manager. A practical option for accounts used by several people.
This is a problem solved! If, to avoid having your accounts hacked, it is absolutely necessary to use strong and unique passwords, this security measure nevertheless remains somewhat complicated to respect when you have to memorize multiple passwords… This is where the password managers intervene. These tools allow you to store and manage numerous passwords securely, by locking everything using a single password, making everything easier to remember. If they are not as good as dedicated apps, password managers integrated into web browsers at least have the merit of being quick and easy to use. This is the case of the Google Chrome password manager (Password Manager), which keeps them with the Google account with which they are associated, to automatically enter them as soon as you need to connect to a particular account (email, bank , administration, online store, etc.).
However, it happens that some accounts are shared between several users. This could be a family sharing a streaming service, relatives having a common email for administrative matters, etc. But what to do when you have a little memory lapse? Google comes to the rescue of its head-in-the-air users with a new function allowing them to securely share a login ID and password with a family member. No more need to copy and paste this sensitive information in plain text into a message! As spotted Android Authoritythis function is now available, with the Google Play Services update of May 2024 (v24.20) – it has arrived on smartphones, but it is not sure for the stable version on computer.
Chrome password sharing: a feature for family groups
The first tests to integrate this function began on the browser in June 2023. Last November, password sharing finally appeared in the Canary build – the beta version – of Chrome. In February 2024, TheSpAndroid had noticed that version 24.09.12 of Google Play Services included flags indicating the presence of a password sharing function, even if it was not yet operational. It is now done.
“With this new feature, you can now securely share your passwords with your family group in Google Password Manager. When you share a password, your family members will receive a copy in their password manager. Google password, ready to use“, explains the Internet giant. Note that it only authorizes the function for users whose Google accounts are part of the same family group.
As a reminder, the family group function allows you to create a group in which you can add members of your immediate family who have a Google account. This allows you to share with them the benefits of the products and services to which you subscribe and use. With this new feature, it is now possible to share passwords with family members from the password management application on your Android device.
A new “Share” button appears next to each saved account, and you can choose which family member you want to share it with. The recipient then gets a tooltip on their device when they visit the website, telling them they have access to the password. This should greatly simplify things! It remains to be seen how Google handles this, as sharing passwords could pose security issues, exposing users to potential risks.
To be able to take advantage of the function, it is necessary to create a family group with all its members from your Google account. To do this, you must go to the Play Store settings, go to the “Family” section then click “Create a Family library”. All that remains is to register, configure your payment method and add the Google accounts of your family members. Please note, the deployment of the function is gradual, so you may have to wait a few days before you can take advantage of it.