'Password-less' Google Chrome OS in the works

Tired of having to remember passwords to log into your computer? Google could be working on a solution for that, an Android enthusiast site said.

Android Police cited traces of an "Easy Unlock" for the Chrome OS operating system, requiring a user's smartphone to be near the computer instead of having to remember letters and numbers.

"(W)hile not yet fully baked (okay, it's still mostly a block of ice), (the feature) could one day allow users to unlock their Chromebooks automatically just by having their phone in close proximity. This feature is 'Easy Unlock,'" it said.

It added that for now, the feature is disabled by default, though people running on the dev channel can enable it.

But for now, the windows triggered by the feature appear to do nothing yet.

"That appears to be it for now. There's a chance the feature is looking for an Android app that isn't yet available," it said.

A separate report on PC World said this is the second time Google is working on a "password-less autentication option" for Chrome OS.

It noted that in December, developer François Beaufort revealed the Chromium OS team was working on a "password-free screen unlock" for Chrome OS.

"The big unknown for Easy Unlock is what kind of technology the feature might use to accomplish its mission. Likely candidates are Bluetooth pairing, an ad hoc Wi-Fi connection, or near-field communication (NFC)," it said. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News