Google Tests Passkey Import and Export in Android Password Manager
Google Password Manager is quietly gaining a crucial upgrade: the ability to import and export passkeys on Android. Hidden options discovered in the app’s settings replace the existing “Import passwords” and “Export passwords” entries with “Import passwords & passkeys” and “Export passwords & passkeys.” Testers have managed to activate this interface and confirm that it already works behind the scenes, even though Google has not switched it on for the public yet. Instead of a static export file, Google’s implementation leans on a guided flow. When users open another compatible password manager, they are prompted to transfer their stored passkeys from Google Password Manager, making it possible to move passkeys between apps without manual copying or risky workarounds. While Google hasn’t given a launch timeline and warns that features discovered in APK teardowns may never ship, the plumbing for passkey export on Android now appears to be in place.
How Passkeys and the Credential Exchange Protocol Enable Portability
Passkeys replace traditional passwords with cryptographic key pairs: a private key that stays on your device and a public key registered with each service you use. When you log in, you simply authenticate locally—via fingerprint, face recognition, or device PIN—to prove you control the corresponding private key. This design dramatically improves security and usability, but it also introduces a portability challenge: moving those private keys safely between devices and apps. To solve this, industry players are converging on the Credential Exchange Protocol (CXP), an emerging standard backed by the FIDO Alliance. CXP provides a secure channel to transfer passkeys between credential providers without exposing the private key. On Android, CXP-based transfers depend on Google Play Services and Google Password Manager to coordinate the exchange. Once Google fully enables passkey export and import, Android users will have a standardized way to move passkeys between apps that support this protocol.
Catching Up with Apple and Other Password Managers
Apple has already implemented CXP, allowing users on recent iOS and macOS versions to move passkeys to third-party password managers. Major credential providers like Bitwarden and 1Password also support passkey migration, giving their users a relatively smooth path when switching devices or apps. Google, despite being a CXP backer, has lagged behind with Android and Google Password Manager. The newly uncovered Android interface suggests that gap is closing. Once live, it should enable passkey export Android users can invoke from within Google Password Manager and compatible apps such as Samsung’s password solution. Import flows already show installed managers like Bitwarden as options when moving data into Google’s store. However, support may initially be limited to providers that implement CXP. Even so, aligning Android with Apple’s approach would mark a significant step toward cross-platform password manager portability and consistent passkey experiences for users across ecosystems.
Why Passkey Portability Matters for Vendor Lock-In
Passkeys are rapidly gaining traction as password replacements, but their benefits depend on users feeling free to choose—or change—their password manager. Without a simple way to move passkeys between apps, people risk getting locked into whichever provider they picked first, even if their needs change later. Google’s move to support passkey export Android-wide directly addresses this concern. By letting users move passkeys between apps that support CXP, Google Password Manager passkeys become portable rather than trapped. That strengthens user autonomy and encourages healthy competition among credential providers, who must compete on features instead of lock-in. It also lowers the barrier to adopting passkeys in the first place: users can try them with confidence, knowing they are not making an irreversible commitment to a single platform. As Google and Apple also work on easier cross-platform device switching, passkey portability will be a cornerstone of a more flexible, user-centric authentication landscape.