Sharing passwords with your family just got a lot easier

Google has finally brought an anticipated new feature to their Password Manager that allows users to securely share passwords with their family members. This simple, yet helpful feature aims to simplify password management for shared services like streaming apps, school homework accounts, or financial accounts. Google said earlier this year that password sharing within your family group was coming but the folks over at Android Authority have discovered it’s rolling out now as part of the Google Play services May 2024 update.

To share a password, it must be stored within Google Password Manager, the company’s native service that securely stores passwords and passkeys in Chrome and Android, linked to your Google account. When you share a password, a copy of it is saved directly into the recipient’s Google Password Manager, ensuring easy access. The main limitation here is that sharing passwords is currently restricted to members within your Google-sanctioned family group, which can include a maximum of six individuals.

With this new feature, you can now securely share your passwords with your family group in Google Password Manager. When you share a password, your family members will receive a copy of it in their Google Password Manager, ready to be used.

Google Release Notes

Available as part of this update, the password-sharing feature is currently accessible on mobile devices. Unfortunately, it’s not showing up on the desktop version of Chrome but hopefully, this is coming since the support page doesn’t mention this feature being exclusive to mobile. We had previously reported that the Password Manager on the web was testing a share button last year but we haven’t seen any further development since.

This update reflects Google’s ongoing efforts to enhance the user experience and convenience in password management, even as passkeys and the world of passwords are changing. By allowing secure password sharing within family groups, Google simplifies access to shared services while maintaining security. We’re hopeful that this will expand to the web version of the Password Manager so please let us know in the comments below if you see it on your account.