Fingerprint biometric authentication for incognito browsing being added to Chrome

A feature which allows a user to access or lock a Chrome incognito tab on an Android device has been added to the browser as part of efforts to enhance browsing safety and security.

The feature is not widely available yet, but it can be accessed using a Google Chrome flag on some of the latest versions of android, reports 9to5Google, a news portal which focuses on all news Google and Android.

This development means that Google Chrome can lock any open Incognito tabs using fingerprint authentication when a user quits the browser.

Returning to those closed tabs after re-launching the Chrome browser will take the user to ‘Unlock Incognito.’ Clicking on it will open the fingerprint feature interface where the user can verify their biometrics to access the tab.

Also added to the fingerprint authentication option is a Personal Identification Number (PIN), the outlet mentions.

This move follows a similar development in 2020 in which a ‘Privacy Screen’ option was added to some Google apps on iOS to enable authentication by Touch or Face ID.

The fingerprint authentication feature for Chrome incognito tabs is hidden behind the flag menu, but a user can activate it on the Chrome 105 stable channel, writes Ars Technica.

Chrome to fill form data with optional biometric authentication

In a similar development, Chrome has hinted about plans to introduce biometric authentication as an optional feature in settings for filling form data using the browser.

The change reportedly goes along with a number of other innovations the browser has added to its system lately, including plans to make the Chrome password manager user interface (UI) an independent page, rather than appearing as a sub-section in Chrome’s main settings, reports Chrome Unboxed.

The report indicates that the UI is still being developed with just three options available on the page as yet. However, the new password manager UI page with its full setting options is said to be ‘coming soon.’

There have also been hints that Chrome is considering adding biometrics to its password manager.

Article Topics

access management  |  Android  |  biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  Google