Posted by Eiji Kitamura – Developer Advocate
Chrome on Android will quickly enable third-party autofill providers (like password managers) to natively autofill varieties on web sites. Builders of those providers want to inform their customers to toggle a setting in Chrome to proceed utilizing their service with Chrome.
Background
Google is the default autofill service on Chrome, offering passwords, passkeys and autofill for different data like addresses and fee information.
A 3rd-party password supervisor will be set as the popular autofill service on Android by System Settings. The popular autofill service can fill throughout all Android apps. Nevertheless, to autofill varieties on Chrome, the autofill service wants to make use of “compatibility mode“. This causes glitches on Chrome akin to janky web page scrolling and doubtlessly displaying duplicate strategies from Google and a third-party.
With this coming change, Chrome on Android will enable third-party autofill providers to natively autofill varieties giving customers a smoother and less complicated person expertise. Third-party autofill providers can autofill passwords, passkeys and different data like addresses and fee information, as they’d in different Android apps.
Attempt the characteristic your self
You’ll be able to already take a look at the performance on Chrome 131 and later. First, set a third-party autofill service as most well-liked in Android 14:
Word: Directions could range by machine producer. The beneath steps are for a Google Pixel machine operating Android 15.
- Open Android’s System Settings
- Choose Passwords, passkeys & accounts
- Faucet on Change button below Most popular service
- Choose a most well-liked service
- Affirm altering the popular autofill service
Secondly, allow third-party autofill service on Chrome
- Open Chrome on Android
- Open chrome://flags#enable-autofill-virtual-view-structure
- Set the flag to “Enabled” and restart
- Open Chrome’s Settings and faucet Autofill Providers
- Select Autofill utilizing one other service
- Affirm and restart Chrome
Word: Steps 2 and three will not be essential after Chrome 131. Chrome 131 is scheduled to be secure on November twelfth, 2024.
You’ll be able to emulate how Chrome behaves after compatibility mode is disabled by updating chrome://flags#suppress-autofill-via-accessibility to Enabled.
Actions required from third-party autofill providers
Implementation sensible, autofill service builders do not want a further implementation so long as they’ve a correct integration with autofill providers. Chrome will gracefully respect it and autofill varieties.
Chrome plans to cease supporting compatibility mode in early 2025. Customers should choose Autofill utilizing one other service in Chrome settings to make sure their autofill expertise is unaffected. The brand new setting is obtainable in Chrome 131. You need to encourage your customers to toggle the setting, to make sure they’ve the very best autofill expertise attainable together with your service and Chrome on Android.
Timeline
- October sixteenth, 2024: Chrome 131 beta is obtainable
- November twelfth, 2024: Chrome 131 is in secure
- Early 2025: Compatibility mode is not obtainable on Chrome