Google, as the person responsible for Android, is well aware that changing mobile phones has always been a tedious processespecially when it’s time to log back into all your favorite apps. Let’s not talk about whether we’re also talking about moving from one platform to another, although that is largely outside of Google’s control. However, this is not the case when we are talking about Android, and the good news in this regard is that Google has decided to mitigate this problem with a solution that promises to change the user experience: the Credential Recovery feature.
This new Credential Manager API tool, recently announced on the official Android Developers Blog (android-developers.googleblog.com), is designed to keep users in their accounts even after switching devices. Automation is the key: credentials are automatically restored in the background, without the user having to manually enter their details, ensuring a migration that, while it may take a few minutes, will undoubtedly be much more convenient.
The credential recovery operation is based on a recovery key created specifically for each user account. This key is stored locally on the device and, if the user has cloud backup enabled, it is also synced with Google Backup. During setup of a new Android device, when you restore apps from a backup, this key is automatically transferred, allowing apps to sign in without interruptions or additional interactions, all in the background.
Good news for users as it will make it easier for developers to implement this new feature. Its integration is very easy thanks to the existing infrastructure.e, based on access keys. Additionally, credential recovery is supported on devices running Android 4.4 (API level 19) and later using the Jetpack Credential Manager library and Google Play Services. This ensures that a large number of applications will be able to use this feature without serious complications, no matter how old their terminals are, which is not trivial since in many cases we know that one of the main reasons for not changing devices is tedious work. being able to run sessions across a variety of applications and services.
With this tool, Google aims to increase user loyalty to their favorite apps, eliminating one of the biggest pain points when switching to a new device. But in addition to keep them more connected to Android when it’s time to switch devicesthus trying to avoid his possible “transition” to the iPhone. Obviously, this is not an improvement that will turn off the vast majority, but it could be an important factor for many users. And I include myself in this list.