On-Device Encryption Now Available on Google Password Manager for iOS

Google Password Manager has just introduced on-device encryption for iOS, Android, and Chrome users, a feature that makes sure “only you can see your passwords,” 9to5Google is reporting.

Accessible at passwords.google.com, Google Password Manager now offers standard password encryption where “the encryption key, used to access your passwords, is safely stored in your Google Account. Google then uses this key to access (decrypt) your passwords.”

According to Google, on-device encryption cannot be removed once set up and can be enabled on multiple devices. The company has also shared instructions on how to enable the on-device encryption feature on Google Password Manager for iOS, Android, and the web.

On-device encryption makes it so that “your passwords can only be unlocked on your device using your Google password or the screen lock for an eligible device,” like fingerprint, PIN, etc. “No one besides you will be able to access your passwords” as Google no longer has the encryption key, which is now stored on your device in a secure way.

Google also warns that if you lose your Google password, you risk losing access to your saved passwords. Therefore, users must keep their account recovery phone number and email up-to-date to regain access to their account should they lose their password.