Google releases Password Manager app

Whether you have been waiting for it or not, Google Password Manager is now available as a standalone app for Android users.

Breaking the Password Manager component out of the Chrome browser is an interesting move. There is no real reason for Google doing so other than making it slightly easier to access saved passwords and usernames.

This much is clear from the brief description Google has given the app in its listing in the Google Play Store. The company says of the app:

This app provides a shortcut to Google Password Manager on your phone, making it quicker and easier for you to find and manage your password, passkeys and more.

Google Password Manager is already built into your Android phone, securely saving your passwords and helping you to sign in faster.

There are no new features to explore, this really is little more than – nothing more – than a shortcut to the Password Manager section of the Chrome browser.

So why bother with it?

A dedicated password manager

From a user’s point of view, there is no particular benefit to installing and using the app rather than just sticking with using the option within Chrome or Android. Some people will prefer the idea of an app because of the perception of neatness, but there are really no advantages when looked at objectively.

For Google, however, there are some advantages to having a dedicated app.

With a new listing for Google Password Manager in the Google Play Store, it is better able to compete with rivals. When searching for a password manager, it was the likes of LastPass and app of its ilk that were returned as results. Locked away within Chrome, Google Password Manager was overlooked, leaving some people unaware of its existence.

Even Chrome users who have opted to save usernames and passwords whenever given the opportunity to do so may have given no thought to where these saved credentials are stored. It is now rather clearer, but whether this is beneficial to everyone is yet to be determined.

Now that Google has separated Google Password Manager into an app that has greater visibility, there is a chance that this is indicative of Google having plans for the future. Updates can now be more easily and visibly delivered – something which is important if the move to the Google Play Store does indeed result in an increase in user numbers.

If you are hoping for something new, for now you will have to make yourself content with Google Password Manager now adopting the Material 3 Expressive redesign. While pleasing to the eye – both in terms of individual design and in terms of matching design language – this shift has little to no bearing on the functionality of the app.

If you like the sound of a standalone app, you can find Google Password Manager for Android in the Google Play Store.