I stopped saving all my passwords in Chrome; you might want to think twice too
Android Police 2026-10-04 17:00:10
Context: A tech journalist, Anu Joy, recently stopped saving passwords in Google Chrome and switched to a dedicated password manager, Bitwarden, due to concerns over potential security risks. Joy, who covers Android and Google's ecosystem, decided to make the change after considering the risks of someone gaining access to his browser profile or device. This decision was motivated by the possibility of attackers compromising his device and accessing saved passwords.
Key Facts
- Google Chrome uses encryption, phishing protection, and breach warnings to protect saved credentials, and on Windows, it uses app-bound encryption to tie access to Chrome.
- Attackers can target browser cookies and saved passwords using malware such as Agent Tesla, RedLine, and other credential-stealing malware.
- Using a dedicated password manager like Bitwarden provides end-to-end encryption and separation from the browser, which can be more secure than saving passwords in a browser.
- Passkeys, which are an alternative to passwords, use a cryptographic key pair and require device authentication, such as fingerprint or face recognition, to approve logins.