Chrome OS 82 brings view password feature to lock screen

We’ve been covering a growing list of new features that have arrived in the latest update to the Developer channel of Chrome OS. Chrome OS 82 is chock full of goodies and while some of them will bring major, front-facing changes to Chromebooks, others are a bit more subtle but that doesn’t mean they aren’t welcome changes.

We discovered one such feature a bug report last month. The feature request is a simple one but it’s something that most users are already familiar with and have come to expect on mobile devices and desktop platforms. The ability to view a password as it’s being is helpful for those like me that often get in a hurry logging into my Chromebook but it’s also a great feature for users with accessibility limitations. Diminished dexterity due to health issues can make typing extremely difficult and seeing your password as you type can be a big help.

The “view password” feature appears to have gained some interest as it seemingly skipped from the Canary channel to the Dev channel in less than a week or two. At this pace, it should land with many of the other features we’ve uncovered when Chrome OS 82 debuts sometime in early May. That’s not to say that developers can’t bump the feature and launch it with Chrome OS 81 but right now, it looks like 82 is the target.

The feature is simple but again, it’s what we’re all familiar with when typing in a password field. Next to the password, there is a small eye icon that will allow users to toggle the feature off and on for privacy purposes. It’s a simple change but one that will benefit many users and that is a big deal in my book. The more user-friendly, the better.