New Google Chrome builds have built-in password generator

Internet users who want to keep their online accounts safe may soon have another reason to switch to Google's Chrome: a built-in password generator in the browser.

Chrome Canary, an experimental version of the browser was added with the password generator in its new interface. Launched in 2012, the optional feature was tested out on Thursday and will be further updated before it makes into the stable version of the Chrome browser. Google employee and Chrome watcher Francois Beaufort mentioned that the password generator is developed using the C library tool and FIPS 181 automated password generator that generates a “strong” password.

"As soon as you focus the password field, a nice overlay will suggest ... a strong and pronounceable password that will be saved in your Chrome passwords," Beaufort wrote.

To try out the password generator on Chrome Canary, users must enable two flags, chrome://flags/#enable-password-generation and chrome://flags/#enable-save-password-bubble which would open up an overlay which suggests new passwords. However, Google has warned about the experimental feature that might crash. If the service gets included in the stable version of the Chrome browser, it would notify when the user requires a password and will be saved to the user’s Chrome passwords.

Third-party password managers, including LastPass and Dashlane, have been offering similar functionality for years. However, even the simplest ones have a learning curve, and I haven't seen many non-technically minded users bother with them. With a built-in password generator in Chrome, those same people could stay secure easily and painlessly. And heck—since Chrome now syncs passwords and locks them away behind your PC's user-account password, some of us geeks might go the same route.