Since the advent of built-in password managers, most of us save our data there when we log in to various sites. Some in such libraries have accumulated more than one hundred login-password bundles. But sometimes there is a need not just to autocomplete the data when entering the site, but to see what has been saved. If on iOS the path to the saved passwords is simple to the point of impossibility, just go to the settings. Then on Android, it is necessary to look for it properly.
Finding a password manager on Android for beginners is a difficult task.
Not every power user will be able to name the entire path to the password information that is stored in your account. But it seems that Google has listened to those who often access their data, and offered an option that will significantly shorten the path.
Google Password Manager
The creation of the shortcut is hidden in the depth of the settings, but having done it once more, you can not return to them.
At the moment, to see all the saved passwords on your Android device, you need to go through a non-trivial path (using the example of MIUI 13):
- Open Settings.
- Go to the Google section.
- Go to Auto-fill.
- Select “Auto-fill from Google”.
- Open the “Passwords” section.
Only after that, a password manager will appear in front of your eyes. Let’s face it, the path is not close, and if you are in a hurry, you can lose precious time on it. According to the law of the genre, it is at such moments that the smartphone begins to lag. The problem is that the built-in password manager does not have its own application. That’s why it’s so deep in your account settings.
Fortunately, Google realized that such a simple task requires a fairly large number of unnecessary actions. Starting with the Google Play Services 22.18 update, it became possible to create a shortcut to the password manager on the desktop.
To create an icon on the desktop you need:
- Download the Google Play Services update 22.18 or later.
- Open Settings.
- Go to the “Google” section.
- Go to Auto-fill.
- Select Auto-fill from Google.
- Open the “Passwords” section.
- In the top right corner, click on the gear to go to the settings.
- Click on the “Add a shortcut to the home screen” button.
After you’ve completed all the steps, you can return to the last desktop. A shortcut icon will appear there.
Password Manager — Android
If Google fixes all the flaws, then it will get another great application.
Unfortunately, this method has disadvantages. The main one is that the shortcut cannot be removed from the application menu. That is, if you want to use it, you should keep it on your desktop. In a situation where you already have a distributed place on it, it can be very difficult to place another extra icon. But if you often go to it, then it will be better to sacrifice some application.
Another disadvantage that should be noted is that when you go to the password manager, the system does not ask for any confirmation that the user who performs this action is you. No matter how you try to get into the dispatcher, you will not need to confirm your identity.
Yes, if you try to look for any passwords inside it, you will have to use a fingerprint or enter a code. In some situations, it will be enough for attackers to have a list of resources on which you are registered to commit any fraudulent actions.
Let’s hope that Google will still begin to develop a password manager as a separate application built into the system, and will try to more reliably protect the data that it stores. And we, in turn, do not have to look for ways to get into it without making unnecessary clicks.