Google bringing password-free logins to Android apps later this year

At its I/O 2016 developers conference, Google announced the availability of 'Project Abacus' for developers later this year, as reported by TechCrunch. 'Project Abacaus' is aimed at bringing password-free login functionality to Android apps. The announcement came from Dan Kaufman, Director of Google's ATAP team, at a low profile event during I/O 2016.

The company introduced ‘Project Abacus’ during last year's I/O conference. It utilizes complex algorithms to verify users' identity and lets them access apps without going through the cumbersome process of filling in user IDs and passwords. The system establishes the identity of users based on their typing and walking patterns, current location and more, with all of this information gathering being done in the background.


Until now, users have to use two-factor authentication to log in to their accounts. ‘Project Abacus’ aims to minimise this effort by letting them earn ‘Trust Scores’. These scores are calculated based on the above mentioned factors (e.g. location). If the users don’t score high enough, the apps would ask for passwords for authentication. Google’s ATAP team also added that some apps (e.g. banking apps), might need higher trust scores than other apps.

At the event, Kaufman added that the team has worked upon the ‘Trust Score’ and has made it into ‘Trust API,' which will be available for testing by limited financial institutions starting next month.

During its three-day I/O 2016 developers conference, Google announced several new services and apps. These include Allo and Duo chatting apps, along with Android Wear 2.0 and the arrival of Android apps on ChromeOS. The company also announced that its Project Ara will be reaching developers later this year. In addition, Android Auto was updated to make it work with non-compatible cars as well.