Google Password Manager and iOS Finally Play Nice Together
A Headache is Finally Over
Late last year, I published a long post that criticized the user unfriendliness of passkeys, the industry-wide alternative to logging in with passwords. A chief complaint was that passkey implementations tend to lock users into whatever platform they used to create the credential.
The Problem with Passkeys
An example: When using Chrome on an iPhone, passkeys were saved to iCloud. When using Chrome on other platforms, passkeys were saved to a user’s Google profile. That meant passkeys created for Chrome on, say, Windows, wouldn’t sync to iCloud. Passkeys created in iCloud wouldn’t sync with a Google account.
Introducing Google Password Manager (GPM)
That headache is finally over. Chrome on all platforms now uses the Google Password Manager, a tool built into Chrome, to seamlessly sync keys. GPM, as it’s abbreviated, will sync passkeys to all Chrome browsers logged in to the same user account. I’ve spent a few days testing the new capabilities, and they mostly work hassle-free.
How GPM Works
GPM allows me to log in to passkey-protected accounts not just in Chrome, but also in standalone iOS apps such as those from Kayak, eBay, or LinkedIn. When creating a passkey in a standalone app, I now get the option to sync it through either GPM or iCloud. That means the same passkeys I created on Chrome for Android, Windows, or macOS work out of the box on my iOS apps. These passkeys are synced using end-to-end encryption, as mandated by the FIDO specification, which is maintained by the FIDO Alliance.
Conclusion
GPM is a game-changer for users who rely on passkeys. No longer do we have to worry about syncing passkeys across different platforms. With GPM, our passkeys are seamlessly synced across all our devices, making it easier to access our accounts on the go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Google Password Manager?
A: Google Password Manager (GPM) is a tool built into Chrome that allows seamless passkey syncing across all Chrome browsers logged in to the same user account.
Q: What platforms does GPM support?
A: GPM works on all platforms where Chrome is available, including Android, Windows, macOS, and iOS.
Q: How does GPM sync passkeys?
A: GPM uses end-to-end encryption to sync passkeys, as mandated by the FIDO specification.
