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Quick access: Google tests using phones to log into accounts on other devices

Entering a lengthy password to access your Google account on a computer may become of a thing of the past if you have your phone nearby.
Written by Kevin Tofel, Contributor
Google phone to authenticate.jpg

Google has long tried to remove every barrier possible to get you connected with information as quickly as it can, and it may have a new trick up its sleeve: Instead of typing your Google account password on a computer, tablet or other device, you might be able to simply use your phone to authenticate.

Reddit user Rohit Paul was invited to test the feature, which still requires some user input.

As noted by Android Police, once Paul's phone was enrolled to be used for sign-in purposes, he simply had to enter his Gmail address on his handset to log into Google on a nearby computer.

While that process won't be faster for everyone, those who have lengthy Google account passwords would benefit since they have fewer characters to type.

Of course, if you lose your phone or no longer want to use it for signing into a Google account on another device, you can still use a traditional sign-in process.

Since Google hasn't announced the feature, the details on how this works are still unknown. I'm wondering if it's solely web-based - similar to the awesome Star Wars lightsaber Chrome experiment - or uses some audio technology between the phone and other device.

Google uses ultrasonic sound frequencies to allow guests to pair with a Chromecast, for example.

Google also leans on Bluetooth for similar functionality: Using SmartLock, I can unlock a Chromebook or Android phone simply by having a trusted Bluetooth device, such as an Android Wear watch, nearby.

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