Android’s New Password and Passkey Transfer Feature: Ending Lock-In and Making the Switch Truly Safe

 

By Diablo Tech Blog | September 12 2026 

On September 10, 2026, Google announced a significant update for Android users: a system-level way to transfer passwords and passkeys between supported password managers without ever downloading an unencrypted file.

This is more than a convenience upgrade. It addresses two long-standing problems that have hindered password manager switching and slowed broader passkey adoption: the security risks of traditional CSV exports and the previous inability to move passkeys at all without recreating them site by site.

The Old Way Was Broken

For years, moving credentials between password managers followed a familiar, flawed process. You exported your vault as a CSV or similar file—often unencrypted or only lightly protected—saved it to your device, then imported it into the new manager. That intermediate file sat on storage where malware, other apps, or anyone with physical access could potentially read it. Users were repeatedly told to delete the file afterward, but human error made this a persistent weak point.

Passkeys made the situation worse. These phishing-resistant credentials, based on public-key cryptography (WebAuthn/FIDO2), are designed so the private key never leaves the user’s device or credential provider in usable form. Early implementations treated them as effectively non-portable. Switching managers meant manually recreating every passkey on every supported site and app—an impractical burden for anyone with more than a handful of accounts. This created a form of soft lock-in that worked against the very goal of making authentication both stronger and more user-friendly.

Google’s new approach eliminates the file step entirely. Transfers happen peer-to-peer between apps on the same device, coordinated by Android itself, with the user explicitly reviewing and authorizing the move.

How the Transfer Works

The process is deliberately simple and OS-mediated:

1. Open the new password manager app and select the option to import or copy passwords and passkeys from another provider. That app hands control to Android.
2. Android detects compatible credential providers already installed on the device and presents a list of those you can import from.
3. After you choose the source and tap Continue, Android opens the existing (source) password manager. There you review the credentials to be transferred and authorize the export. The data then moves directly between the apps in seconds.

Exporting works symmetrically: you can start from the source manager or initiate the flow from the destination. Google Password Manager screenshots in the announcement show a clean selection and confirmation experience.

The feature is available on Android 8 and later devices. Specific partner apps may have higher version requirements tied to Play Services updates. At launch, support exists in Google Password Manager, 1Password, Bitwarden Password Manager, and Dashlane, with additional partners expected. Other developers can integrate via Android’s Credentials Transfer APIs.

Under the Hood: Credential Manager and FIDO Standards

This is not a proprietary Google invention. It builds on Android’s Credential Manager framework and the FIDO Alliance’s Credential Exchange work.

Android’s Credentials Transfer APIs (part of the androidx.credentials:providerevents library) enable same-device, peer-to-peer credential movement. Providers register exportable entries with the system. An importer requests specific credential types (passwords/basic auth, public-key/passkeys, addresses, notes, credit cards, etc.). The system mediator shows the user a selector, then routes the request to the chosen exporter. The exporter authenticates the user (often via biometric or screen lock), packages the data in the standardized FIDO Credential Exchange Format (CXF), and returns it via a content URI. Raw credentials are never exposed to the OS or unauthenticated apps.

The broader industry foundation is the FIDO Alliance’s Credential Exchange Protocol (CXP) and Credential Exchange Format (CXF). Developed by a group that includes Apple, Google, Microsoft, 1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane, NordPass, Samsung, and others, these specifications define secure, standardized ways to move passwords, passkeys, and other credential types without cleartext intermediate files. CXF provides the data structure; CXP handles the secure transfer (including Diffie-Hellman key exchange for encryption in relevant scenarios). The goal is interoperability so users are not locked into any single provider or platform.

Apple shipped similar capabilities earlier with iOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, and related updates, allowing secure app-to-app or system-to-app transfers of passkeys and passwords with local authentication. Android’s September 2026 rollout brings the same philosophy to Google’s platform, closing a notable gap.

Why This Matters for Security and User Choice

Passkeys are meaningfully stronger than passwords. They resist phishing, credential stuffing, and many forms of server-side breach impact because the private key stays with the user. Adoption has grown rapidly, with billions of accounts now supporting them, but portability concerns remained a friction point. When switching managers required painstaking recreation of every passkey, many users simply stayed put—even if a different tool better matched their needs for features, pricing, open-source principles, or multi-platform support.

By making transfers fast, reviewable, and free of intermediate files, Android lowers that barrier. Users gain practical freedom: try a new manager, move everything securely, and decide whether to keep or reverse the change. The same capability works in both directions, reducing the risk that any single provider can hold credentials hostage through technical difficulty.

Security is improved in the transfer itself. No plaintext CSV sits on disk. The OS coordinates but does not intermediate the sensitive payload. User authorization (with biometric or lock-screen confirmation in the source app) is required. This aligns with the broader principle that credential portability should be secure by default rather than an afterthought that introduces risk.

Practical Considerations and Limitations

• Supported managers: Google Password Manager, 1Password, Bitwarden, and Dashlane at launch. Check each app’s documentation for exact Android version and Play Services requirements (some note Android 10+ or 14+ with recent Play Services).
• What transfers: Passwords and passkeys are the headline items. The underlying APIs support additional types (addresses, notes, credit cards, custom fields) depending on provider implementation.
• Device requirements: Broadly Android 8+, but real-world availability depends on the apps and up-to-date Play Services.
• Cross-platform reality: This is same-device transfer on Android. Moving between ecosystems (e.g., fully leaving Android for iOS or vice versa) still involves the respective platforms’ tools and any remaining gaps. Third-party managers that support both platforms remain the most seamless multi-OS option.
• User responsibility: Always verify the destination app is trustworthy. Review the credentials being moved. After a successful transfer, confirm everything works before deleting the source vault if you intend to fully switch.

Google provides a Help Center walkthrough for the import/export flow in Google Password Manager, covering both the new direct method and legacy CSV options (the latter still exists for broader compatibility).

Broader Context: Toward a Passwordless Future Without Lock-In

This Android update is part of a multi-year industry push. The FIDO Alliance recognized early that non-portable passkeys risked becoming a new form of vendor lock-in, undermining the usability advantages that drive adoption. Collaborative standards work among major platform and password-manager companies has produced the technical foundation now shipping on both major mobile platforms.

WebAuthn Level 3 reaching W3C Recommendation status further stabilizes the underlying technology. Conditional UI features, better autofill, and easier creation flows continue to reduce friction for everyday users. Portability completes the picture: strong credentials that users can actually take with them when their needs change.

For developers of credential providers, the Android Credentials Transfer documentation offers clear integration paths for both importer and exporter roles, including registration of export entries, handling of the transfer intent, biometric gating, and CXF payload generation. More partners supporting the APIs will expand the practical network of switchable managers.

Looking Ahead

Google has stated that more partners will follow the initial four. As additional managers adopt the Credentials Transfer APIs and as CXF/CXP mature further, the network effect should grow. Users who previously hesitated to experiment with alternatives or fully commit to passkeys now have a lower-risk path.

The deeper significance is philosophical as much as technical. Credential data is among the most sensitive information people hold. Platforms and providers that treat portability as a first-class, secure feature demonstrate respect for user agency. Android’s implementation—OS-coordinated, file-free, reviewable, and standards-based—sets a high bar.

If you have been considering a switch, or if you have delayed creating more passkeys because of lock-in worries, the tools are now available on Android. Open your preferred new manager, initiate the import, review carefully, and authorize. In a few seconds the transfer completes. Your credentials stay under your control, without intermediate exposure.

That is how digital identity should work: stronger, more private, and genuinely portable. Google’s September 2026 update is a concrete step in that direction.

Thank you for reading, Stay tuned for more, any request and comments are welcomed.