Google has come out with this cool new thing called Restore Credentials that's supposed to make it way easier to get back into all your apps when you get a new Android phone. It's part of something big called the Credential Manager API, which is basically like a VIP pass for your login info.
So, say you're switching to a new phone, and you don't wanna go through the pain of putting in your usernames and passwords for every single app again. With Restore Credentials, it's like a magic trick—it does all that work for you in the background.
This Google dude, Neelansh Sahai, said it's all about making sure you can use your apps on a new phone without any drama. When you're moving stuff over from your old phone, it just signs you back into your apps automatically.
It uses a thing called a restore key, which is like a super-secret password that follows you around. It's based on some fancy tech called FIDO2 that keeps everything safe. This key is saved on your phone and can even go to the cloud if you have that turned on.
When you start using an app on your new phone that you had on your old one, the app asks for the restore key. Once it gets it, you're in without having to do anything else. It's like the app remembers who you are and lets you in without asking questions.
But here's the catch for developers: if someone signs out, you gotta delete that key right away so they don't keep getting signed back in by accident. That'd be super annoying, right?
And guess what? Apple's got something like this too for iPhones. It's part of their iCloud Keychain, and they call it kSecAttrAccessible. It's like a special tag that tells your phone whether it can share your login stuff with other devices or not.
Google is also working on other privacy things for Android, like a better Privacy Dashboard and a new version of the Privacy Sandbox. They're always trying to keep our phones safe from bad guys and creeps. And they've got a big report that talks about all the cool ways Android protects us, like making sure your phone can't be stolen and giving us private spaces where we can hide stuff.
So, if you're ever worried about keeping your apps safe when you upgrade your phone, don't be. Google's got your back with this new feature. It's like having a digital butler for your login info.