Android’s new Credential Manager API aims to simplify the login experience across apps

Android apps support different authentication methods to help you log into your account. You can sign in with your username, phone number, biometrics, or use single sign-on solutions such as Sign in with Google. Additionally, you can also set up passkeys for your accounts to simplify logins. While having so many options for logging into apps is a bonus, Google wants to make things a little simpler for those of you who don’t want to bother with the different interfaces each option offers. To this end, the company has released the Credential Manager API.

Available to app developers in initial release starting today, Android’s new Credential Manager Jetpack API allows developers to streamline the login experience for their apps. Supports multiple login methods, including username/password and federated login solutions in a single API, making it easier for developers to integrate them into their applications.

For end users, the Credential Manager API “Unifies the login interface across authentication methods, making logging into applications clearer and easier, no matter which method they choose,” Google said in a blog post. Highlighting the benefits of the new API, Google said, “Users are faced with multiple ways to sign in, and in many of these cases, the sign-in methods are parallel ways for the user to get into the same account. Credential Manager brings together all of the sign-in methods available to the application into a single list, while eliminating duplicate entries for the same account. This simplification allows users to Focus on identifying the account without having to understand basic login technology.”

The Credential Manager API also supports passkeys, the new industry standard for passwordless authentication, which is more secure than using a username and password to log into apps. It will allow users to create passkeys for apps and store them in Google Password Manager. Stored passkeys will sync across devices that are signed in to the same Google Account for a seamless experience. Since Credential Manager is currently available to developers in initial release, it may be some time before you see the single sign-on experience on your device.