The Android System WebView is a system part that enables apps to show web-based content material with out leaving the app. Though it is primarily based on the identical open-source code as Google Chrome, it would not share any autofill or session information with it. In consequence, when a captive portal asks you to check in to a social media account or enter your private information, you must fill in all the small print manually.

Google is now making ready to have Android open these captive portal pages in an Android Customized Tab as an alternative of a WebView. Customized Tabs are merely situations of the default net browser and have entry to your searching session, saved passwords, fee strategies, and addresses. This may permit captive portals to entry your autofill information, making it a lot sooner and simpler to log in to public Wi-Fi networks.

Instance of an Android Customized Tab powered by Google Chrome | Picture credit score — Android Authority

This alteration is being applied by Mission Mainline, which permits Google to push out updates to system parts by Play System Updates. The newest launch of the Captive Portal Login app already comprises the code for this function, but it surely’s presently disabled by default. It is unclear when Google plans to allow this function, but it surely’s anticipated to roll out within the close to future.

Whereas this alteration is probably going to enhance the comfort of accessing public Wi-Fi, it isn’t anticipated to have a major impression on safety. Evil twin assaults, the place attackers arrange pretend public Wi-Fi entry factors with malicious captive portals, will possible nonetheless be efficient. Nevertheless, the elevated comfort of utilizing Android Customized Tabs for captive portals is a welcome change that ought to make logging into public Wi-Fi networks a bit much less painful.

Personally, I believe it is a nice transfer by Google. I usually discover myself having to manually enter my login credentials when connecting to public Wi-Fi at airports, which will be fairly annoying. The power to make use of autofill information with captive portals will certainly make my life a bit simpler as a traveler.