Google Chrome update wants to make sure your passwords are more secure than ever

Google Chrome
(Image credit: BigTunaOnline / Shutterstock)

The latest edition of Google Chrome has been released, featuring a number of useful security upgrades aimed at keeping users safe online

Chrome 88 browser comes with a new password manager feature that allows users to check, identify, and fix weak passwords in one place.

Users can have greater control over their saved details across multiple platforms and sites thanks to a new shortcut to identify weak passwords and quickly edit them. 

To check your passwords, users just need to click on the key icon that appears under your profile or you can manually type chrome://settings/passwords in your address bar.

Password fixes

New update to Chrome password protection feature

(Image credit: Google)

The Google Chrome password manager already saves users' credentials for multiple platforms and prompts if a password is weak. 

However the new update will allow users to quickly check, identify, and fix weak passwords directly from the Chrome Settings menu, allowing users to sport multiple weak passwords in one place.

"Weak passwords expose you to security risks and should be avoided. In Chrome 88, you can now complete a simple check to identify any weak passwords and take action easily," Google said in a blog post.

The new password protection features come on the back of other security tweaks Chrome received late last year which included the ability to log in to websites using the credentials saved in your Google account without the need to sync those pieces of information through Chrome.

Google said password breaches remain a critical concern online, and that its Chrome’s Safety Check service is being used 14 million times every week.

"As a result of Safety Check and other improvements launched in 2020, we’ve seen a 37% reduction in compromised credentials stored in Chrome," the company said.

The new features with Chrome 88 will be rolled out over the coming weeks, arriving first on desktop and iOS versions, and the Android app receiving the feature very soon.

Mike Moore
Deputy Editor, TechRadar Pro

Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he's not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.