Google wants your smartphone to replace your passwords

Google has spent the last few years looking for an alternative to traditional passwords that’s both more convenient and more secure, and it may have just found it. Yesterday, an Android user by the name of Rohit Paul took to Reddit to reveal that Google is testing a method of logging into its services using nothing but your smartphone. All users will have to do is authorize their smartphone, then whenever they want to log into one of Google’s services, they just input their credentials and authorize access to the account from their smartphone.

Google’s plot to kill the password is moving forward. The company is testing a method for users to log into their Google accounts using only a mobile phone and without having to type in a memorized string of characters. Android owner Rohit Paul, who posted about the test on Reddit yesterday, was invited to try it out and provided screenshots of the process. Once a user authorizes their mobile device, they’re able to input their account credentials on any computer and receive a notification on their smartphone. The device must have some type of screen lock security feature, as unlocking your phone is a prerequisite to approving or denying access to the account with this method. You’re still given the option to log in with your regular password if you so choose. Google’s email to participating users explains how you can deactivate a lost device, as well as add a new one in the event you upgrade your handset. “We’ve invited a small group of users to help test a new way to sign-in to their Google accounts, no password required,” a Google spokesperson told The Verge in a statement. “‘Pizza,’ ‘password,’ and ‘123456’ — your days are numbered.”