A password manager built into Chrome and Android devices sounds ideal, but is it enough?
Because Google Password Manager is accessible on any device that uses Chrome, which currently accounts for around six in 10 browser sessions worldwide and is available to install on virtually every mainstream OS, it has the potential to reach millions of customers. It’s also built into the company’s mobile operating system, Android, and integrates neatly into many third-party apps, so around two-thirds of the smartphone market should be well catered for, too.
However, while very capable, the service is somewhat of an afterthought as the Google Chrome browser remains the primary focus, so it doesn’t have some of the features you may expect from dedicated password managers, nor does it have the specialized interface, instead taking a more under-the-radar, integrated approach.Google Password Manager: Plans and pricing
Google Password Manager is an entirely free product to anybody with a Google account, which then enables passwords and other information to sync between devices.
However, pricing does come into play for other reasons. While saving passwords alone will virtually never fill a user’s 15GB free storage allowance, saving pictures, videos, and other files will. Monthly plans include 100GB for $1.99 / £1.59 / AUD$2.49, 200GB for $2.99 / £2.49 / AUD$4.39, and 2TB for $9.99 / £7.99 / AUD$12.49.Google Password Manager: Setup
Setting up Google Password Manager is designed to be effortless because of the way it integrates with the company’s browser and mobile OS. With that said, it’s worth mentioning that, while there’s an online dashboard accessible for viewing and editing passwords from any platform, autofill and many of the other intended features are only designed to work in Chrome and Android, so you’ll have to kiss goodbye to Safari or Edge if you decide to go with Google’s answer to password keeping.
Take note that you also need to enable sync for your account on Chrome to make sure those features work.
Wherever you fill in a password, Google will ask whether you want to save the password. You can use this on Chrome wherever, including Apple-branded products.
