- Switching to a new Android phone logs users out of their apps and logging back in can be a huge chore.
- Android is solving this major issue using a new Restore Credentials feature in the Credentials Manager API.
- The feature stores encrypted Restore Credentials, which can be restored locally or via the cloud to log back into apps automatically on the new phone.
Android has improved a great deal over the past few years, and Google has made it relatively easy to hop between phones. It’s still not perfect though, so Android is preparing to address one of my long-running complaints when migrating to a new Android phone — automatic log in for all my installed apps.
Unlike iOS, you need to sign into Android apps after transferring all your data onto a new Android phone, making it quite the chore. However, Android is set to resolve with the announcement of the new Restore Credentials feature in the Credential Manager API.
As for how the feature works, when a user logs in, the app creates a restore credential associated with the account. This credential can later be stored locally and on the cloud with Google Backup (optional). Once the user migrates to a new phone, the app can request the Restore Credential from the Credential Manager. Apps that support this feature will be logged in automatically after the user moves to a new phone.
The good news is that since the Credential Manager API is a part of Google Play Services. As a result, it won’t be limited to Android 16 or only new Android versions but all Android 9.0 and above devices can use the feature.
The announcement reminded me of my old conversation with Paul Dunlop, Android’s Product Lead for onboarding and switching. He emphasized how Android can help developers in this regard, and it’s good to see the OS finally implementing it with the Credential Manager API.
While Google hasn’t mandated the implementation, it did highlight the benefits of using the feature to developers. Things like increased user engagement and seamless user experience were some of them. Google also mentions that apps with passkeys support can easily opt into using the Restore Credentials feature.
The API is currently in Developer Preview on GMS Core version 232200000 and above. We should soon start seeing it in action as app developers start integrating it. That said, what are your thoughts on Android’s Restore Credentials feature? What other potential issues would you like Android to fix with data migration? Let us know in the comments below.
