Google Apologises For Chrome Password Manager Bug That Left 15 Million Users Blank

In light of the inconvenience this issue caused, Google issued an apology and provided guidance for those who continue to experience difficulties.

A few days back, around 15 million Google users went blank after a bug in Chrome's password manager caused their saved passwords to disappear. The problem began on July 24 and it went on for around 18 hours due to “a change in product behaviour without proper feature guard.” Now Google has finally issued an apology for this error. The issue of disappearing passwords affected Chrome users worldwide, preventing them from accessing any passwords previously saved in the Chrome password manager.

Google has clarified that this issue affected users of the M127 version of Chrome on Windows only.

What Was The Issue

The issue, referred to as the Google Chrome password bug, prevented users from accessing their saved passwords or saving new ones, leading to considerable frustration. Google quickly identified and addressed the problem, but it had already affected a large number of users.

Given Chrome’s extensive user base of over 3 billion, the impact of this bug was significant. Google estimates that around 25 per cent of users were affected by the configuration change, which equates to roughly 750 million users. Of these, approximately 2 per cent encountered issues with the password manager, meaning about 15 million users experienced problems with their passwords disappearing.

What Did Google Say

At first, Google offered a temporary workaround for the issue, which involved using a command line flag to circumvent the problem. This solution, however, was not particularly user-friendly and necessitated a certain level of technical expertise, making it challenging for the average user. Acknowledging that a more practical and accessible resolution was needed, Google swiftly developed and implemented a permanent fix. To restore the functionality of the password manager, users simply need to restart their Chrome browsers.

In light of the inconvenience this issue caused, Google issued an apology and provided guidance for those who continue to experience difficulties. Affected users are encouraged to reach out to Google Workspace Support for further assistance and troubleshooting.