You will soon have the option to share usernames and passwords with your Google family members
Summary
- Google is soon introducing a feature that allows users to directly share login details with their Google family group through Google Password Manager.
- This feature is useful for coordinating with daycare or sharing school assignments, but it may not be available immediately.
- While Google’s solution is convenient for those in the Google ecosystem, other password managers like 1Password offer more advanced sharing options and customization for sharing passwords with third parties.
While Netflix and other streaming services are cracking down on password sharing with friends, you’re still fine to share your login details with household members. Some good alternative password managers out there like 1Password make this process simple with dedicated secure sharing options, and Google is now finally stepping into the game as well. The company has announced that you will soon be able to directly share login details with your Google family group.
In its announcement, Google writes that accounts “that are part of a family group will soon have the option to share usernames and passwords for a particular website or service directly from Google Password Manager.” The company cites examples like sharing a single account to coordinate with daycare or when a child wants to give a parent access to their school assignments. Given the wording, the feature likely isn’t available by default straight away.
Password sharing was spotted under development in Chrome earlier. Back in November, we were already able to activate and successfully test the feature using the chrome://flags/#password-sharing flag, which has to be enabled for both the sender and receiver. When everything is ready to go, a new Share button will show up in the bottom right corner of the detailed view for a stored login. In a popup, you can then select who to share the password with, followed by a confirmation. The login details then become part of the recipient’s password manager, allowing them to autofill or look up the details.
While the approach works well if everyone in your household is part of your Google family group, it’s no use if you need to share access with others. Other password managers like 1Password make this process simpler, allowing you to temporarily share passwords with third parties all while keeping record of when and how often you shared your data. It’s even possible to set timers or restrictions on how many times login data can be accessed. For those who are deeply embedded in the Google ecosystem, Google’s solution is still the most comfortable, though.
Password sharing and more in celebration of Safer Internet Day
The official reveal of the feature comes as part of Google’s Safer Internet Day announcement. On top of the more secure way to share your logins with family members, Google.org is also pledging $20 million to support organizations concerned with teaching kids a healthy and productive relationship with technology. The company is also teaming up with Highlights Magazine, releasing a special edition of the publication featuring Google’s Be Internet Awesome curriculum. The edition is available for free on Highlights’ website.
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