Google’s Password Manager for Android is on the verge of introducing an automatic password upgrade feature that converts passwords to passkeys on compatible websites. While this functionality is already available on desktop versions, Android users have yet to benefit from such convenience. Fortunately, forthcoming updates suggest that this gap is about to close.
Passkeys are increasingly viewed as the future of online security, with many leading password managers already providing support. Despite their potential to streamline logins, passkey adoption has been slower than expected. One significant hurdle is the overhead associated with transitioning from traditional passwords to passkey systems.
However, Google Password Manager alleviates this issue on Chrome by automatically converting user passwords to passkeys when logging into compatible sites. Interestingly, recent investigations by the Android Authority team into the latest Google Play services beta (v25.19.31) revealed indications that the Android version of Google Password Manager will soon include an automatic upgrade feature for passwords. They successfully activated this option, dubbed “Automatically create a passkey to sign in faster.”
Although the description seems straightforward, this improvement aims to simplify the user experience by eliminating the need for manual changes when transitioning to passkey logins on frequently visited websites. The feature will function on any website or service that supports passkey logins, which are becoming increasingly numerous. Once a password is upgraded to a passkey, users can log in through biometric verification—such as fingerprint or facial recognition—or by using a device PIN.
For those who still prefer traditional passwords, Google will provide an option to disable this new feature. While the timeline for the official rollout of this feature remains uncertain, such enhancements typically take a few months before they become publicly available. In addition, Google is also working on an import/export feature for passkeys, facilitating migration to alternative password managers and allowing users to transfer passkeys between accounts more easily.
Though passkeys are seen as the future, full adoption may still take some time.
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