In public, Google has apologized after a bug in its Chrome web browser caused an estimated 15 million Windows users to lose access to their saved passwords. The issue started on July 24 and lasted for almost 18 hours. This impacted a wide array of sectors including medical institutions, airlines, and banks.
As per news report, the glitched happened due to a "change in product behavior" within Google Chrome, specifically affecting the Google Password Manager—a tool relied upon by over three million users to store and autofill passwords.
This glitch affected Chrome users globally, making it impossible for them to locate any passwords saved via the Chrome password manager and rendering newly saved passwords invisible.
According to the report, Google suggested a temporary workaround using a command-line flag to bypass the issue. Eventually, Google released a fix, advising users to restart their browsers to restore functionality.
"We apologize for the inconvenience this service disruption or outage may have caused," stated Google in an official apology to those impacted by the glitch.
Reportedly, the incident has sparked concerns about the reliability of online password managers. Many users depend on these tools for a wide range of activities, from work and healthcare to education and entertainment. This recent glitch underscores the potential risks associated with relying solely on digital password storage solutions. Experts advise users to maintain backup plans and to be cautious with sensitive information stored online.
