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Google and password management firm Dashlane have launched a new initiative to develop an opensource application programming interface to help developers build secure login routines for Android applications.
Dubbed OpenYOLO (You Only Login Once) the API is designed to give developers a way to write Android applications that can readily access secure application logins stored in password managers.
Google and Dashlane will work with vendors of other leading password management tools to develop the open-source API. Eventually they want to make the API available to developers on other cloud and applications platforms, as well as on other operating system environments.
According to both companies, the effort stems from the growing use of password manager technologies by users looking keep their online accounts from being breached by hackers.
Major data breaches, including those involving the loss of tens of millions of passwords, have prompted a growing number of individuals and businesses to use password managers to protect their login credentials and other sensitive data.
“To stay one step ahead of the market demand, Google and Dashlane are helping create a seamless, universally acceptable Android app authentication solution to increase your online security,” Dashlane said in a blog post.
The API is designed to enable Android users to access their applications securely, regardless of the password management tool they might be using.
Dashlane, which has received over $52 million in funding so far, offers a password management tool that consumers can use for free on one device. It also offers a premium version of the technology costing around $40 per year that companies can use to synchronize password management across an unlimited number of devices.
According to Dashlane some 5 million users currently manage and secure their digital credentials using the company’s password management tool. The product is available on Android, Windows, macOS and iOS platforms.
This is the second open-source user authentication project Dashlane has joined recently. Earlier this year, the company became the first password management vendor to announce it would adopt an open authentication standard called Universal Second Factor (UTF) from the FIDO Alliance, an organization that develops specifications and standards for online authentication.
Google also has its own password management tool to help Android application users manage and secure their application access credentials. The tool lets users synchronize passwords to their Google accounts and sign into Google services on multiple devices.
In a statement, Google software engineer Iain McGinniss described the initiative with Dashlane as another example of Google’s commitment to push open technology standards that help bolster user security. “Google is excited to support the launch of this project with Dashlane and help create a new open standard for app authentication,” McGinniss said.