Android developers now have a better way to authenticate users using the new Credential Manager.
Credential Manager is a Jetpack API that brings together various sign-in methods into a single API, which will make it easier for users to become authenticated, regardless of their preferred sign-in method.
According to the Android team, the simplification provided by Credential Manager will enable users to sign-in without worrying about the underlying authentication technology.
These days, users are often dealing with multiple sign-in methods, with some of those being parallel ways to get into an account.
Credential Manager aggregates all of the possible sign-in methods while at the same time deduplicating entries for the account.
In addition to normal sign-on methods like the standard username and password, Credential Manager supports passkeys, which Google has been working to expand support for. The company first introduced support for passkeys for Android and Chrome at the end of last year.
“Passkeys are a significantly safer replacement for passwords and other phishable authentication factors. They cannot be reused, don’t leak in server breaches, and protect users from phishing attacks. Passkeys are built on industry standards and work across different operating systems and browser ecosystems, and can be used for both websites and apps,” the Android development team wrote in a blog post at the time.
The Android development team is currently working to bring support for integrating Credential Manager with third-party password managers.
