Google Chrome for Android is reportedly adding support for third-party password managers. The browser currently only supports password autofill from Google Password Manager, its native service. As a result, Android users who prefer and use other password managers cannot use the app’s saved data to log into their accounts on the browser. It appears that the tech giant is now addressing this pain point by allowing users to choose whichever third-party service they want. Notably, the desktop app of Google Chrome recently upgraded the standard version of the Safe Browsing feature with a real-time protection protocol.
Spotted by tipster @Leopeva64 on X (formerly known as Twitter) in the Stable version of Chrome for Android, the feature lets users autofill passwords from their preferred password manager. He said, “This feature now works and if you choose the “Use other providers” option, Chrome no longer shows you suggestions from its password manager.” The tipster first highlighted this feature in November 2023 when it was still under development.
In the example above I set Microsoft Authenticator as the default autofill provider in Android settings.
This is how it normally works in the Stable version of Chrome for Android: pic.twitter.com/t4oQ0ZVuQw
— Leopeva64 (@Leopeva64) March 18, 2024
The feature is already available on Chrome Stable, Beta, and Canary builds, and users with these builds can access them immediately. However, they will first have to activate an experimental flag. As per a report by Android Authority, it can be enabled at chrome://flags/#enable-autofill-virtual-view-structure. Once activated, the setting will appear. After that, users can go to Chrome Settings > Autofill options and select Use other providers. Once the setting is changed, Google will no longer show its password suggestions in login text fields.
This setting should automatically prompt Chrome to trigger the default password manager the user has set for their Android smartphone. To change the default password manager, users can head to Android settings and click on Passwords & accounts > Passwords, passkeys, and data services and select the password manager of their choice.
A thing to note here is while the feature is working, the report found a bug where entering a new password did not prompt an option to save it, despite the flag being activated. This can be a concern for users wanting to switch their password manager immediately. It appears Google is still fine-tuning the feature before its public release.