Free Security Tips

Chrome and Google Assistant Now Identify and Change Compromised Passwords

Data breaches appear to be a common occurrence these days, and likely, some of your data has been levered/publicly exposed in a data breach at some point in time. Luckily, on your Android device, depending on its age or installation of the app/Chrome, there is a new feature that lets you know if the password you’re using in a website or application has been compromised in a data breach and will even change it for you.

How it works

If you use use the Chrome browser on your computer or laptop, it has the ability to let you know if the credentials you’re using when logging into websites that have previously been compromised in a data breach previously. If you have one of these notifications, before you would have had to change that password manually. Now, a new update for Android devices is taking things a step farther. If this update has been installed on your Android and Chrome browser identifies a compromised password, Google Assistant may be able to automatically generate a new, secure password and store it for you.

When a compromised password is detected by Chrome on a website compatible with this new functionality, you’ll see a popup letting you know and offering to have the Google Assistant change and store the password. You can either close the popup and make the change, yourself, or click a Change Automatically button. If you allow Google Assistant to do the work for you, a new secure password will be automatically generated and stored in the Chrome password manager app.

The auto change option doesn’t work everywhere

Because it’s new, Google Assistant’s password change functionality currently works only on a small percentage of websites. That will hopefully change in the not-too-distant future as more sites become compatible. If you have the update installed on your Android device and log into a website where you receive a password breach notification, you’ll know by the popup message whether the password can be changed and stored automatically. If it can’t, the popup will include a message advising you to, “Change Password on Website.”

How to check for the update

To find out whether this new Google Assistant update has been installed on your Android device, open the Chrome browser, tap the three dots in the upper right corner, then select settings. Next, tap Passwords. If the update is installed and a website on your list is compatible with this service, you’ll see a Change Password option next to the site’s name.

Does this work with Chrome on an iPhone?

For now, this automatic password change functionality is only available for Android devices. It’s not yet known whether it will eventually be made available for iOS devices. But iPhone users that have Chrome installed can take advantage of the breached password notification capability Chrome provides. Open the Chrome app on your iPhone, tap your image or name in the upper right corner of the screen, then tap Passwords. Tap the Check Now option under Check Passwords.

Summing up…

Google did well when it built into the Chrome browser the ability to notify users when passwords they enter have been compromised. Now, with the new capability of Google Assistant to automatically change and store passwords, they’re taking it a step farther. Hopefully, more sites will soon be added to the list of those compatible with this new functionality. Until then, Chrome users should heed Chrome’s warnings and manually change compromised passwords immediately upon notification.

If you do not use the Chrome browser, there is a good site we have found, where you can find out whether your passwords, email address, or phone number have been compromised in a data breach. HaveIBeenPwned.com provides an easy-to-use interface that allows you to run searches and to sign up for breach alerts.