Google has started rolling out a new Android feature that lets users transfer passwords and passkeys between compatible password managers without generating and moving an export file. The company said it works with Google Password Manager, 1Password, Bitwarden, and Dashlane.
To start the transfer process, users open the password app they want to begin using and request to copy or import passwords from another provider. The app will extend that request to Android, which finds compatible credential managers on the device. After selecting the old manager, the user can review their credentials and approve the move within the source app, after which Android completes the transfer.
This eliminates the need for a CSV file that stores passwords in plain text. These files can remain in the Downloads folder, cloud backups, or other locations if people don't delete them, potentially exposing the passwords within.
Conventional password exports generally can't carry passkeys, so people switching managers often need to create new passkeys. Now, password managers can transfer supported passkeys through Android's framework, so long as they support it.
