How to enable password leak detection in Google Chrome

Google's Chrome can now notify if your password has been compromised, and this is how you can enable the feature.

Chrome Password Leak Detection feature
Chrome Password Leak Detection feature

Google Chrome is gaining a new security feature known as “Password Leak Detection,” and as the name implies, it’s a feature designed to alert you the password you’re using has been found in a data breach. 

If the browser detects that the password you’re trying to use is in the database of compromised passwords, it’ll advise you to change it to a different one. 

The new feature should sound familiar because Google already has a Password Checkup extension that offers the same functionality. However, the feature is now part of the browser, and you don’t need to install a separate extension.

Password Leak Detection is currently in development, but you can enable it manually using the Chrome advanced settings.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to enable the password leak detection in the latest version of Chrome.

How to enable password leak detection in Chrome

To enable password leak detection in Chrome, use these steps:

  1. Open Chrome.

  2. Type the following path in the address bar and press Enter:

    chrome://flags/#password-leak-detection
  3. Use the drop-down menu on the right and select Enabled (or Disabled to turn the feature off).

    Enable Password Leak Detection in Chrome
    Enable Password Leak Detection in Chrome
  4. Click the Relaunch now button.

Once you complete the steps, the web browser will be able to detect and alert you if any of your login information have been part of a data breach. 

If the password is known by Google that has been compromised, make sure to change it on all the accounts you may be using it.

While we’re focusing this guide on Windows 10, Tab Hover Cards are also available for macOS, ChromeOS, and Linux.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].