Chrome Is Testing a Feature That Quietly Upgrades Your Passwords to Passkeys, No Prompts Needed

After allowing Chrome to use AI to automatically change passwords, Google is taking another significant step toward eliminating passwords, and it is doing so in a way that most users will not even notice. The newest test in Chrome can quietly upgrade your saved passwords to “passkeys,” making your logins simpler and more secure, all in the background.

With the recently introduced setting in Google Password Manager called “Automatically create a passkey to sign in faster,” Chrome could help you switch your accounts to passkeys. Until now, you had to click a button or confirm a pop-up before anything changed.

Now, with the new feature being tested behind a flag in Chrome Canary, if you log in to a website using a password that is already saved in Chrome, the browser can create a passkey for you automatically and in the background.

If the website supports passkeys, there are no extra prompts and no interruptions. You may see a small notice letting you know a passkey was created, but otherwise, you will not even notice it has happened.

How to Turn On Automatic Passkey Upgrades in Chrome

1. Launch Chrome Canary.
2. Visit chrome://flags/#web-authentication-passkey-upgrade
3. Set the flag to Enabled and restart Chrome.

Flag name: Enable automatic passkey upgrades in Google Password Manager

Flag description: Enable the WebAuthn Conditional Create feature and let websites automatically create passkeys in GPM if there is a matching password credential for the same user. (Available on Mac, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, and Android.)

Chrome now only upgrades accounts you actually use, right after a real login, so there are no pop-ups or extra steps.

Passkeys are much safer than passwords. They cannot be stolen or reused, which helps keep your accounts protected. Once an account has a passkey, you will be able to log in more quickly with your device’s fingerprint, face scan, or screen lock.

This new feature means your accounts can get better security and easier sign-ins, all without any extra effort. Google is making passwordless logins the new normal, one quiet upgrade at a time.

That’s not all. Chrome is also testing a rollback option for third-party cookie tracking protection and is experimenting with Windows 11 GPU Video calling in Chrome and Edge to improve video call quality.

Additionally, the Chrome browser could use Gemini AI for Buy Now, Pay Later price finalization to help finalize amounts for BNPL payments.