Google says Android password manager transfer is now built into the operating system, allowing users to move passwords and passkeys between supported apps without exporting an unencrypted CSV file. Google says the feature is available on Android 8 and later. The same transfer is available to Android users in the UAE without a separate local rollout.
The new system is designed for people switching from one password manager to another. Open the import or copy option in the new app, let Android find compatible managers on the phone, then review and authorise the transfer in the old app. The credentials move directly between the apps and the process should take a few seconds, according to TechCrunch.
Android password manager transfer skips the CSV step
Moving passwords traditionally meant exporting a plain-text CSV file and importing it into the replacement app. That file could expose the entire vault if it was left on a phone or computer. Passkeys were more awkward: because they could not be transferred between managers, users often had to create them again on individual websites and apps.
Google’s Android password manager transfer system handles both types of credentials through the operating system. The move still requires compatible source and destination apps, and Android asks the user to review and approve what is being transferred.
Which password managers support the transfer?
At launch, the system works with Google Password Manager, 1Password, Bitwarden Password Manager and Dashlane. Ars Technica reports that Google says more providers will support the transfer, but has not given a timetable.
The feature is available through Google Play Services rather than a separate Android version upgrade. That means an Android 8 or newer phone with the relevant password-manager apps can use it, subject to support from those apps. Android users in the UAE will see the same platform-level feature; there is no separate local rollout or UAE pricing involved.
The change makes it less painful to leave a password manager without leaving a readable copy of the vault behind. It also makes passkeys less of a one-manager commitment. Related: 1Password raises its UAE price as password-manager subscriptions change.
Which password managers support Android’s transfer feature?
Google Password Manager, 1Password, Bitwarden Password Manager and Dashlane support the transfer at launch. Google says more providers will follow.
Does Android’s transfer feature move passkeys too?
Yes. The system can transfer both saved passwords and passkeys between compatible password managers, so supported passkeys do not need to be recreated one by one.
Which Android phones can use the password-manager transfer?
Google says the feature is designed for devices running Android 8 or later, provided the source and destination password managers support the transfer.
