Chrome passwords on Mac/Windows laptops can soon be accessed with biometrics

It appears that Google is working on bringing biometric authentication to Chrome on Mac and Windows, as indicated by the presence of an experimental flag in the Chromium Gerrit repository. This will give users another option for authenticating when trying to view saved passwords in Chrome. Currently, on a desktop, the browser will prompt you to re-authenticate by entering your computer password, whereas on mobile, you can use the device’s fingerprint reader.

The flag, found by Chrome Story, will allow you to use the biometrics available on your device, such as TouchID on a MacBook, in order to view, edit, or copy a saved password. This change also comes at a time when Google is trying to position its password manager as a worthy contender among the likes of 1Password and other third-party apps by offering on-device encryption and preparing for the inevitable move to a password-less future.

chrome://#flagsenable-biometric-authentication-in-settings

Enables biometric authentication in settings to view/edit/copy a password

This change also conveniences Mac and Windows users who have chosen to use Chrome to store their passwords. Suppose the device in question has built-in biometrics, which you have used to using all the time. In that case, it feels like an extra step to have to type your password just to gain access to your Chrome passwords even though you have already authenticated on the device. This feels like the next natural step in applying FIDO sign-in standards.