Google is finally letting you take your password data where you want

While passkeys offer better account protection than conventional login credentials, they’re not necessarily more convenient. Passkeys are generally locked to the platform where they are created, but a new feature aims to change that. Google Password Manager users can now export their passkeys to another password solution with a few easy taps.

When you create a new passkey on an Apple device, Android phone, or Windows computer, the key gets stored within that ecosystem for safekeeping. This isn’t a problem, if you stay within that ecosystem for all your web browsing needs, but if you’re the type that uses a Windows PC at work, an Android phone on the go, and an iPad for leisure, your passkeys can end up strewn across multiple operating systems, all inaccessible to each other.

This feature comes just months after Google Password Manager came under fire for a nasty malware called Pass-ta-key.

In short, passkey cross-compatibility still has a long way to go, but Google is making it a little easier to move them from its first-party password manager to a third-party platform — or rather specific third-party platforms. Direct passkey transfers are only available for Bitwarden Password Manager and Dashlane, with 1Password on the way. Google claims that even more password partners are coming soon, but there isn’t a timeline yet.

To export Google Password Manager passkeys to one of these apps, you’ll need an Android phone running Android 8 and up. Next, download the applicable password management app from the Google Play Store that you wish to use and open it. Each app has a different design, but you ultimately need to find the import option buried in the settings:

• Bitwarden Password Manager: Tap the “Settings” icon in the right bottom corner, and choose “Vault” from the list. Next, select “Import items,” followed by “Import from another app.” Choose Google Password Manager and follow the prompts to move your data.
• Dashlane: Open your Vault, tap “Add New” in the bottom right corner, followed by “Logins.” Select “Import multiple items” at the top, then “From another password manager,” which is in beta. Follow the prompts to start the import process from Google Password Manager, and you’re set.
• 1Password: Google says that 1Password already supports passkey transfers, but it wasn’t active when we tested it ourselves. This feature should be available very soon.

Google Password Manager Passkey Transfer Tool/Google

The thing that makes this tool so compelling is that passkey transfers take place on device without any manual file juggling or hassle. You move your passwords with a few taps, and you’re done. Google also notes that this new system enables easy password and passkey transfers between platforms going forward, so you’re never locked into any one platform at a time.

Alternatively, Google lets you export passkeys into a CSV file format, which you can import into another password manager. However, this method is far less secure, as it leaves your credentials exposed in a plain text file with no password protection or encryption. On top of that, not all third-party password platforms accept passkeys through this method, so it’s best to rely on Google’s new transfer tool, if you plan to jump from one password platform to another.

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dasilvafa/Getty Images

This feature comes just months after Google Password Manager came under fire for a nasty malware called Pass-ta-key on Windows PCs. Aimed directly at passkeys stored in Google’s platform, Pass-ta-key used three different attack methods to trick Google’s system into accessing users’ passkey data, and in some cases, it could even steal the entire passkey vault.

If for any reason you feel that your data is at risk, you could benefit from transferring your passkeys out of Google Password Manager to another platform, at least until the issue is fully resolved. Unfortunately, since Pass-ta-key takes advantage of several vulnerabilities within Chrome and Windows, there isn’t a quick fix to shore up security.

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