Google Assistant can now automatically change your passwords if they’ve been hacked

Google wants to put an end to the passivity of some users when it comes to changing the passwords used to log in to platforms or websites, which have been compromised. The Chrome browser for Android, which already warns when a password has appeared leaked, now allows you to change the password automatically thanks to the help of Google Assistant.

The Mountain View firm announced this feature in May 2021, at its annual developer conference, but has so far not started rolling it out to Android devices. The company, in this case, shows a pop-up notice in Chrome indicating that a password has been compromised and offers the possibility of modifying this password automatically with the help of its assistant, or dismissing the option and continuing browsing. The app, in particular, displays the following notice: “Chrome has encountered the password you just used in a data breach. Your Google Assistant can change your password automatically.”

When clicking on the button to change the password automatically, Chrome will open a new confirmation page warning of the data that the company will collect for the use of the assistant. By accepting, Google Assistant will redirect the user directly to the password change section of that website or service. The rest of the process is also done by the wizard.

Specifically, it generates a new password that the user can accept or reject. If you accept it, it will be saved in the password manager of the respective Google account. This administrator, remember, allows you to automatically fill in the access code each time the person tries to log in to that website, platform, or service through Chrome. Therefore, it is not necessary to remember it.

In any case, it is possible to modify the password at any time and include a more personal one if desired. If that key is compromised again and Google Chrome detects it, it will activate the warning again with the possibility of changing the password automatically.

Chrome is not the only browser that warns if a password has been compromised

This new feature is starting to roll out to Chrome for Android users and seems to turn on automatically. That is, without the need for a specific update. Therefore, it may take a few days to reach all devices. At the moment, it is unknown if it is also available for the Chrome app on iOS.

Safari, however, also alerts you when a password has surfaced in a data leak and therefore could be compromised. The alerts appear in the browser itself, as they do in Chrome, and also in the ‘Passwords’ section of iPhone settings. Apple also offers direct access to the change password section of the website in question, so it also facilitates the process.