What you need to know
- Google is reportedly working on passkey import and export support for Android.
- Android users may soon be able to move passkeys between Google Password Manager, Bitwarden, 1Password, and other supported apps without rebuilding accounts manually.
- Google’s solution appears to rely on the FIDO Alliance’s Credential Exchange Protocol (CXP).
Google may finally be loosening its grip on passkeys on Android, which could solve one of the biggest headaches with the passwordless future it’s been pushing for years.
At present, passkeys are secure and convenient in theory, but they’re a mess when it comes to switching ecosystems. If you stored your credentials in Google Password Manager and then wanted to move to something like Bitwarden or 1Password, you would need to rebuild your logins one site at a time.
That may finally be changing soon. Google is said to be working on adding support for passkey import and export to Password Manager on Android, according to findings from Android Authority. The outlet was able to activate a concealed interface that reveals tools allowing users to move passkeys between password managers that support them.
Passkeys were designed to supplant passwords. Your phone doesn’t store passwords; it stores cryptographic keys that are based on biometric authentication, such as fingerprint scans or face unlock. Since the actual login secret never leaves your device, they are more resistant to phishing attacks and data breaches. For the last couple of years, companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft have been aggressively pushing adoption.
However, while passkeys sync nicely within a single ecosystem, moving them somewhere else has been limited. Apple has already put in place ways to sync passkeys between recent versions of iOS and macOS, but Android users have mostly been left waiting.
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The potential solution from Google seems based on the Credential Exchange Protocol, or CXP, which is a standard developed by the FIDO Alliance. This is meant to allow credentials to be passed securely from one password manager to another without exposing sensitive authentication data in the process. Android Authority said it tested the feature using Bitwarden and confirmed the transfer flow actually works.
The interface itself suggests Google is expanding its current system of importing and exporting passwords to include passkeys as well. In practice, users could eventually switch on another password manager on Android and be prompted to import credentials directly from Password Manager.
Google has been slowly rolling out support for passkeys. Last year, the company introduced a dedicated Password Manager PIN system to securely sync passkeys across devices without having to rely on QR code scans every time you log in somewhere new. Most recently, Google was also seen testing automatic password-to-passkey upgrades for compatible accounts on Android.
This new migration feature is not publicly available yet. There’s no confirmed rollout timeline, and Google hasn’t officially announced anything yet. But the fact that the underlying transfer system is already working suggests this is further along than a typical experimental teardown discovery.
Android Central’s Take
Giving users the ability to jump between apps like Bitwarden, 1Password, and Google Password Manager without having to rebuild their entire digital life is a massive win for consumer choice and trust. At the same time, it’s difficult to ignore the fact that the tech industry has spent years promoting passkeys as the future, while conveniently overlooking the complexities of portability. A passwordless future only works if users stay in charge, not locked into whatever ecosystem got there first.