Andy Walker / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google could be working on a password-sharing functionality within Google Password Manager that is distributed through Google Play Services.
- The feature was spotted within Play Services, and the UI was activated through a feature.
- It could allow accounts within a family group to share usernames and passwords easily through the Google Password Manager.
The future of the internet is passkeys, but passwords will still be around for a while. While Google has been pushing for passkey adoption, it hasn’t forgotten about passwords just yet. Google has been spotted working on a password-sharing feature for Android, making sharing your passwords with your family easier.
The latest Google Play Services v24.09.12 (190400-610662703) includes a password-sharing functionality, which TheSpAndroid has managed to activate the feature with a feature flag to give us an idea of what it looks like.
The Google Password Manager exists within Google Play Services, so that is why the feature exists within the Play Services app. When Google rolls out password-sharing functionality within Password Manager, you will be able to share a copy of your password with other users in your family group securely. You will be able to spot the Share button when you access Password Manager to manage your saved passwords.
As we see in the screenshots, this sharing option will only show up for accounts with passwords and not for accounts with passkeys, as passkeys use other mechanisms for authentication.
It remains to be seen if sharing passwords this way will give them access to the password or allow them to use the password in a sign-in field through the Google Password Manager.
Since the feature is still a work in progress, it doesn’t work yet. Google has not announced any timeline for when this feature will roll out.
