Password managers have become a necessity in this day and age, where one person has to juggle dozens of login details. But moving between different password managers is a bit of a hassle. While the process should feel pretty mundane, it has often meant temporarily turning your carefully protected passwords into one of the least protected files on your device.
Google is finally giving Android users a better option. A new Android transfer experience lets you move passwords and passkeys directly between supported password managers in a few clicks, without first downloading your credentials into an unencrypted file. Google designed the feature to make changing providers easier while keeping sensitive information protected throughout the move.
Android can handle the transfer bit for you
The new process starts inside the password manager you want to move to. Select its import option, and the app hands the process over to Android. Android then detects compatible password managers already installed on the device and shows which ones you can import from. After choosing the old provider, Android sends you to that password manager so you can review exactly what is being moved and authorize the transfer.
Google claims that the data then moves directly between the two apps within seconds. Google Password Manager asks which service to import from, the source manager displays the passwords and passkeys awaiting export, and Google shows a final summary after the transfer finishes.
Passkeys can be hassle-free as well
Passwords could previously be exported, even if the process introduced additional risk. Passkeys, on the other hand, are a little more frustrating. Previously, these couldn’t be transferred between password managers, meaning users often had to recreate them individually across websites and apps.
At launch, the new Android experience works with Google Password Manager, 1Password, Bitwarden, and Dashlane, with Google promising additional partners later. The best part is that exporting data is similarly straightforward.
