Google Chrome update for iOS and Android will tell you if your password has been hacked

(Image credit: Scyther5 / Shutterstock)

Google has announced new password security alerts for iOS and Android mobile devices that will alert users if any of their online accounts have been compromised. 

The new password protections will be available with the next Chrome 86 update, and will see Google notify users of any suspicious activity and provide them with a link to change their password.

“Passwords are often the first line of defence for our digital lives,” AbdelKarim Mardini, Senior Product Manager at Google Chrome,” wrote in a blog post. “Today, we’re improving password security on both Android and iOS devices by telling you if the passwords you’ve asked Chrome to remember have been compromised, and if so, how to fix them.”

Users need not worry about sharing all their sensitive information with Google either. The internet giant only receives an encrypted form of their usernames and passwords to check against compromised credentials.

Safety first

In addition, Google has announced a number of other new security features, including Safety Check, which is launching for iOS and Android devices. In addition to checking for compromised passwords, the new feature will also inform users if Safe Browsing is enabled and whether their version of Chrome has the latest security protections in place. 

A biometric authentication step is also being added before autofilling passwords for iOS users.

Some of the most damaging cyberattacks ever committed started with a compromised password and, despite their importance, many of us continue to use easy -to-hack credentials. A report last year found that “12345” remains the most commonly used password.

Many businesses are now choosing to employ a password manager to protect sensitive information, without requiring their staff to remember a multitude of complex passwords.

Barclay Ballard

Barclay has been writing about technology for a decade, starting out as a freelancer with ITProPortal covering everything from London’s start-up scene to comparisons of the best cloud storage services.  After that, he spent some time as the managing editor of an online outlet focusing on cloud computing, furthering his interest in virtualization, Big Data, and the Internet of Things. 

Latest in Security software
Google Chrome update for iOS and Android will tell you if your password has been hacked
Latest in News
Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con up-close from app store
Nintendo's new app gave us another look at the Switch 2, and there's something different with the Joy-Con
cheap Nintendo Switch game deals sales
Nintendo didn't anticipate that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was 'going to be the juggernaut' for the Nintendo Switch when it was ported to the console, according to former employees
Three angles of the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M4 laptop above a desk
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) review roundup – should you buy Apple's new lightweight laptop?
Witchbrook
Witchbrook, the life-sim I've been waiting years for, finally has a release window and it's sooner than you think
Amazon Echo Smart Speaker
Amazon is experimenting with renaming Echo speakers to Alexa speakers, and it's about time
Shigeru Miyamoto presents Nintendo Today app
Nintendo Today smartphone app is out now on iOS and Android devices – and here's what it does