Android can securely transfer passwords and passkeys between password managers without creating text files. The process takes place on the phone; the relevant apps must be installed, and the credentials must be synced. The transfer is initiated from the import option in the app to be used. In Google Password Manager, this option is located at the top of the settings tab. Exporting, on the other hand, creates an unencrypted CSV file. The system authenticates the user and requests confirmation in the new manager. The feature works through Google Play Services on Android 8.0 Oreo and above, without requiring an operating system update or an additional app download. Play Services support extends back to 7.0 Nougat. For now, Google’s app, 1Password, Bitwarden, and Dashlane are supported. Other managers require manual transfer or an unencrypted CSV. More managers are expected to be added to the Credential Transfer API, but Google did not provide a date.
Why it matters
This development reduces the need for exported unencrypted files among Android users who want to switch password managers, provided they are moving between supported apps. Completing the process on the phone and after authentication makes a difference for users who do not want their credentials to appear as files during the transfer process. However, the benefit is limited to people who use Google Password Manager, 1Password, Bitwarden, or Dashlane and have synced the information in their apps; with other managers, the potentially riskier manual transfer method or the unencrypted CSV option remains. For this reason, the key issue that will determine the feature’s scope is that it has not been disclosed which managers will be added to the Credential Transfer API or when.
Background
Android is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 8 articles mentioning this name in the last 90 days; the most recent is dated September 11, 2026.