Google is updating Chrome on Android next month to significantly improve how password managers work in the mobile browser. Chrome on Android allows third-party password managers to natively autofill forms on websites, improving the experience of apps like 1Password, Dashlane, and others.
Google offers its own password manager in Chrome, as well as passkeys and support for autofilling information like your address and payment card details. While Android lets you set a preferred autofill service, Chrome uses a compatibility mode that makes it extremely problematic for third-party password managers. I switch between iOS and Android devices regularly, and using 1Password on iOS feels like a far better experience in Chrome, even if it still can't match Safari's superior integration.
Google admits that its current Chrome offering for Android results in “jerky page scrolling” and potential duplicate suggestions from Google and a third-party password manager. “With this upcoming change, Chrome on Android will enable third-party autofill services to autofill forms natively, providing users with a smoother and easier experience,” said Eiji Kitamuram, a developer advocate on the Google Chrome team. “Third-party autofill services can autofill passwords, passkeys, and other information such as addresses and payment details, just as they would in other Android apps.”
You can test this new functionality in Chrome 131 and later. After setting up a third-party password manager as your preferred autofill service, you'll need to toggle a Chrome flag to take advantage of the new autofill experience. All Chrome users on Android will get this new experience on November 12th, when Chrome 131 is scheduled to enter the stable channel.