Google Chrome, one of the most widely used browsers by billions around the globe, often serves as a repository for users' information, such as usernames and passwords for various websites.
Recently, however, cybercriminals have successfully utilized info-stealer malware, like StealC, to compromise saved passwords and login credentials. In response, Google appears to be developing a new feature for the Android version of the app that will require biometric authentication to automatically fill in login details.
A recent post on X by Leopeva64, a user known for identifying upcoming software features, revealed that the Canary version of Chrome for Android now includes a flag that mandates fingerprint or facial recognition authentication before users can access a password field.
To activate this feature, users must install the Google Chrome Canary build from the Play Store. After installation, they should open the app, enter “chrome://flags” in the address bar, and locate the toggle labeled “#biometric-auth-identity-check” to enable it.
As this functionality is currently available only in the Canary version of Chrome for Android, an experimental build designed for testing new features, it may take some time before it is rolled out in the stable version.
For context, Google had previously tested a similar feature for Chrome but ultimately did not release it, while competitors like Microsoft Edge have already implemented such functionality.
Last month, Google also introduced several new features to Chrome on desktop, including Google Lens integration, a tab comparison feature, and AI-powered history search.