Maintaining track of all your sign-in credentials takes some effort, even if you use a password manager. Making sure your login credentials are in sync requires time and work, regardless of whether you’re logging in on a desktop computer or a mobile device. The ease of this operation has been greatly enhanced by browsers, and Mozilla is working to further improve Firefox.
According to Mozilla’s most recent changelog, Firefox is now compatible with an Android 14 feature that combines passkeys with third-party sign-in solutions. As of version 128 Firefox may now send credentials to your password manager when you create a passkey for an account on websites that accept it. This works even if you use a third-party password manager, as long as it also supports Android 14’s improved Credential Manager.
Passkeys generated within Firefox can still only be managed using Google’s password manager on Android 13 and lower. On Android 14, however, passkeys can now be transferred by the system Credential Manager to compatible third-party password manager applications, such 1Password. The password manager will then appear to authenticate you when it comes time to log in to that app or website, and your passkey will be used to log in without the need for a password.
What else has Firefox 128 added?
The upgrade brings more new features to Android 14, in addition to passkey support. The “confirm password” area on websites that ask for a new password to be input twice will now automatically match what was provided in the initial password box, streamlining the process of managing passwords overall. Additionally, a correction has been made to the “Approximate location” permission to guarantee that it works as intended. Furthermore, Firefox will no longer instantly flip to landscape mode when it reaches full screen, which is convenient for users who prefer portrait mode when listening to music. Lastly, Firefox now honors user choices when sharing links from other apps. If “Ask before opening” is checked, sites will no longer be forced to open in the originating app.
Not only is Mozilla streamlining the login procedure in its browser, but Google recently introduced a passkey feature to Chrome. Additionally, it worked to improve the browser’s autofill capability towards the end of 2023. When it was first seen hiding behind a flag, it revealed a feature that was in development and would have let users autofill input fields with passwords from within the Android system (instead of only Google Password Manager and Chrome). Password autofill features could seem unnecessary as more users switch to passkeys. Still, it can help you avoid getting frustrated when you try to get into a website you don’t often use.