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Now use fingerprint or screen lock instead of password for some Google services

New Delhi: Search engine giant Google has announced that users can now verify your identity by using your fingerprint or screen lock instead of a password when visiting certain Google services.

The feature is available on Pixel devices and coming to all Android 7+ devices over the next few days, Google wrote in a blog.

“These enhancements are built using the FIDO2 standards, W3C WebAuthn and FIDO CTAP, and are designed to provide simpler and more secure authentication experiences,” the blog said.

A user only has to register his or her fingerprint with a service once and then the fingerprint will work for both the native application and the web service.

Google has listed out the following prerequisites to try the feature out:

  • Phone must run on Android 7.0 (Nougat) or later
  • Your personal Google Account is added to your Android device
  • Valid screen lock is set up on your Android device

Google has claimed hat the fingerprint is never sent to Google’s servers.

“It is securely stored on your device, and only a cryptographic proof that you’ve correctly scanned it is sent to Google’s servers. This is a fundamental part of the FIDO2 design,” Google said.

Source: Zee News