Google now allows users to securely share passwords with members of their family group, making it easier for households to access shared services like Netflix. This new feature is part of the Google Play services update for May 2024, as reported by Android Authority.
The password-sharing capability is available for passwords stored in Google Password Manager, Google’s service that natively stores your passwords and passkeys in Chrome and Android and is linked to your Google account. As of now, the feature works on mobile devices but is not yet available via Chrome on desktop.
To use this feature, you must be part of a Google-sanctioned family group, which can include up to six people. When you share a password with a family member, a copy of it is saved into that member’s Google Password Manager. This ensures that everyone in the household can easily access shared services without needing to ask for passwords repeatedly.
However, this feature is limited to members of your Google family group. If you need to share a password with someone outside your family group, you’ll need to use other methods, such as Nearby Share, to send it in person, or rely on less secure methods. This limitation ensures that password sharing remains secure and confined to trusted individuals within the family group.
This new capability enhances the convenience and security of managing shared passwords within a household, streamlining access to commonly used services and reducing the hassle of manually sharing passwords. As Google continues to roll out updates and expand its features, users can expect more integrated and user-friendly options for managing digital security and access within their family groups.
