You can now easily find out the security of your passwords. Modern web browsers offer some help on this question. We explain this using Chrome and Safari.

Passwords are an everyday evil in the digital age. The more online and app services we use, the more user accounts and thus passwords we have to manage. The overview can get lost and, above all, it becomes difficult to assess whether a certain password is still secure. Current web browsers such as Chrome or Safari therefore offer tools that help you to guarantee the security of your passwords.

Password check in Chrome

The Google Chrome web browser has had an integrated password check since August 2020. It works largely invisible and noiseless for the user. Every time you enter a password in the browser, the browser uses a database of cracked passwords to check whether your password is at risk.

However, the function may not be active for every user. This is how you can turn it on:

1. To activate it, enter " chrome: // flags / " in the address line.
2. Then look for the entry " Passwords weakness checks ".
3. Select the option "Enabled " in the selection field behind the entry.

You can activate the password check under "chrome: // flags /". Image: © Google / Screenshot: 2021

In addition, Google offers the option of performing an online password check for all passwords that are stored in Chrome's password manager. To do this, go to the website " passwords.google.com " and click on " To password check". Then sign in with your Google account. The following overview shows you whether one of your passwords has been ticked, whether passwords are used more than once and whether some passwords are possibly too weak.

Password check in Safari

The Apple Safari browser can also check passwords for security. A function that can detect whether a password is used more than once on different websites has been integrated since 2018. In macOS you can use it under " Settings> Passwords ". There you will find a list of all login data stored in Safari. If a small yellow warning sign is displayed behind an entry, this can indicate that the password is also being used elsewhere. Click the icon for more detailed information.

On iOS devices you can find the function in the Settings app under " Passwords> Security Recommendations ". There you will also be warned of passwords that are easy to guess and if one of your passwords is suspected of being ticked. For this, the saved passwords are compared with an external database of leaked passwords.

Summary

1. Modern web browsers have automatic security functions that indicate weak or hooked passwords.
2. Chrome offers a built-in automatic password check, but you can also activate it manually via the web address "chrome: // flags / " and the entry " Passwords weakness checks".
3. Safari also has an automatic check, which displays appropriate warnings in the web browser under "Settings> Passwords ".
4. On iOS you can find information about compromised or insecure passwords in the Settings app under " Passwords> Security Recommendations ".