Josh Hendrickson
Google says it’s working on making autofill for Chrome more convenient and secure. Chrome can save both passwords and credit cards for autofill purposes, but that probably seems like a bad idea on your mobile devices. You’ll soon be able to add fingerprint protection to prevent unauthorized use of your credit card details on Android. And if you’re on Windows or Mac, you can do that now.
Currently, if you autofill credit card numbers, Chrome will ask you for the security code, such as the CVC on the back of most cards. While that adds some security, it’s also inconvenient. You need to memorize the numbers or dig out your card to confirm the purchase.
You could just skip saving your credit card to Chrome entirely, since you need to dig out the card anyway. But with the new biometric feature, you’re getting both security and convenience. Once you provide your fingerprint, Chrome will move forward with autofill, no need to provide a CVC.
The new biometric feature also works for saved passwords if you choose to save them to Chrome. However, we recommend using a password manager instead, like 1Password. But if you like everything in one place, the extra security is a welcome addition.
Google says the new feature is out now on macOS and Windows (if you have a fingerprint reader), and will come to Android soon.
