Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects group have announced at their I/O conference that next month they are to introduce a new login system that will not involve the use of passwords. The new feature will be called the Trust API and will involve the use of several indicators to identify users, rather than one single password. It is hoped that this step will not only make accounts more secure, but also make the login process much more efficient for users, without the annoyance of having to remember multiple passwords for their different online accounts.
The Trust API will work by constantly running in the background of the mobile device, where it can pick up on a user’s habitual movements, typing patterns and even the way they swipe the screen. These indicators can then be used to identify users. It may also incorporate face shapes and voice patterns, identification features which are already included in many Android devices. One of the most unique features is that unlike a password, which is either “right” or “wrong”, the API will come up with a score to show how confident it is that you are who you say you are. If more confidence is needed, API can ask for extra reassurance, perhaps with more biometric indicators or even a traditional password.
Trust API will be open for use by other companies, and is expected to be particularly beneficial for the financial sector. The first trials next month will be carried out by banks who will use it to verify clients logging into their accounts through Android devices, and it is thought that it will be available to all developers by the end of 2016. Google have been responsible for some of the most significant innovations in technology, and this looks set to continue once API is introduced next month.