Google adds password breach alerts to Chrome for Android, iOS

Google is bringing new security features on the Android and iOS versions of its Chrome web browser. Chrome 86, which was released earlier this week, adds features that are aimed at bolstering password protection and as well as adding a more safe and secure browsing experience.

Much like with a feature that is already available for Chrome on computers, the browser’s version for mobile platforms will now compare your saved login credentials against a list of login details that are known to have been compromised; if a match is found, it will alert you. For convenience’s sake, the browser will also redirect you straight to the form where you can change your credentials.

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Additionally, Google is also introducing its Safety Check feature to the Chrome mobile release after first launching it on desktop. This will include checking whether your browser version is up to date and if you’ve enabled Safe Browsing.

Another feature that is making its way to Android and that, too, was launched on Chrome desktop earlier this year is Enhanced Safe Browsing. The feature adds proactive protection that are aimed at shielding you from phishing, malware as well as fraudulent and dangerous websites by providing real-time data to Google’s Safe Browsing service. Google estimates that users who have activated the feature have seen a 20-percent drop in entering their credentials into phishing websites.

To boost password security on iOS, Google is adding biometric authentication before auto-filling passwords on its browser. You will now be able to authenticate yourself using your device’s existing biometric login features – Face ID and Touch ID – as well as passcode. Moreover, the Chrome Password Manager will allow you to autofill saved passwords on other iOS apps as well, as long as you enable the feature in Chrome’s settings.

Google was also planning to launch Mixed form warnings that were slated for Chrome 86 but are now being delayed until Chrome 87 which will be released on November 17th. The feature is planned to be a part of both the desktop and Android versions of the browser and is supposed to warn you before you submit a non-secure form that is embedded on an HTTPS secured webpage. It will also block and alert you to some insecure downloads launched by secure websites. Chrome plans to eventually block mixed downloads altogether, which means secure websites will be limited to launching only secure downloads regardless of the file type.