Google begins testing free login process without passwords for its services
Remembering passwords can really be a pain at times. It becomes more painful when you end up forgetting your password. However, to authenticate you and keep your online accounts secure, you are required to login with a password.
Therefore, in a bid to make the login process more secure than before and hassle free, Google confirmed that it’s now testing a new login process that lets one login their Google account without a password. The new password-free login procedure does away with the need of typing in the complex combination of characters altogether and requires the user to login by responding to a notification sent to their smartphone.
It is similar to Yahoo’s recently launched “Account Key,” which also offers a password-free means of signing in involving a push notification sent to your phone that then opens an app where you approve the log-in.
All one needs to do is type in the ID on the login page and your synced smartphone would ask you if you are trying to sign in from the particular device. Tap ‘Yes’ and you are allowed to enter.
This would be especially be handy for those who always have their phone nearby while using Google services on other devices, like their computer, as well as for those using lengthy, complex passwords.
Currently, the password-free sign in process works on both iOS and Android. Besides from being way more user friendly than passwords, the new system can help protect against phishing schemes designed to trick users into unknowingly handing their personal details to hackers. These issues are handled by Google today through its Password Alert tool.
A Google representative confirmed the new tests, noting that “we’ve invited a small group of users to help test a new way to sign-in to their Google accounts, no password required. ‘Pizza’, ‘password’ and ‘123456’—your days are numbered.”
The feature is currently under beta and as Google tells TechCrunch that users can still opt to use their password when logging in, or that it might require the code if it notices anything unusual about the login attempt.
In the event that your phone is stolen, Google advises users should sign into their account from another device and remove account access from the device you no longer have in your possession.
Early testers could also turn off the new sign in process at any time.
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