Android can now move passwords and passkeys between managers
A system-level transfer flow moves passwords and passkeys between Android password managers in a few taps — no CSV exports, no plaintext files sitting on your device.
The 60-second version
Android now lets you move passwords and passkeys between password managers with a few taps — no CSV files involved.
Key points
- Google introduced a system-level transfer flow in Android that coordinates the hand-off between two password manager apps.
- It works for passwords and passkeys alike — passkeys previously had no transfer method at all.
- Google Password Manager, 1Password, Bitwarden and Dashlane support it at launch, on Android 8 and newer.
Verdict. A genuinely useful convenience and a small win against lock-in — though the partner list is still short, so check whether your manager is on it before planning a switch.
Android is getting a system-level way to move passwords and passkeys between password managers — no CSV exports, no plaintext files. You open the new manager app, choose to import from the old one, and Android coordinates the hand-off in a few taps. It is live today for Google Password Manager, 1Password, Bitwarden and Dashlane on Android 8 and newer.
The old wayWhat switching used to cost
Moving your passwords used to mean exporting them into a CSV file — an unencrypted text file sitting on your device — and importing it into the new app. Passkeys were worse: they had no transfer mechanism at all, so switching managers meant recreating each one, site by site.
Three stepsHow the new switch works
- 1. Open your new password manager and choose to import or copy passwords and passkeys from another provider. The app hands the job to Android.
- 2. Android detects the password managers already on your device and shows which ones you can import from.
- 3. Tap Continue, review and authorize inside your old manager, and the credentials move over in a few seconds.
At launchWho supports it
| Google Password Manager | Google's own manager; the import flow is built in. |
|---|---|
| 1Password | Live at launch. |
| Bitwarden Password Manager | Live at launch. |
| Dashlane | Live at launch. |
More partners are on the way. 9to5Google reports that other managers can join by supporting the Credentials Transfer API in Android's Credential Manager; Google's own announcement does not name the API.
Less lock-in, less exposureWhy this matters
The CSV ritual was a lock-in lever as much as a security risk — an unencrypted file on disk, plus passkeys that effectively chained you to one app. An OS-level transfer removes both. Google frames it as user freedom: you should be able to choose the security tools that work best for you.
The best lock-in killer is the one you never have to think about.
For usersWhat to do now
If you have been putting off switching managers on Android, the move is now a few minutes of taps instead of an export–import chore. Keep the old app installed until you have confirmed everything arrived — and remember the partner list is still short, so check whether your target manager is on it first.
Primary sourcesGoogle official blog: Switching password managers is easy and safe on Android·TechCrunch: Google is making it easier to switch between password managers on Android·9to5Google: Android rolling out passkey transfers between password managers·Ars Technica: Android can now securely migrate your logins between password managers