Play Store ‘Biometric verification’ set-up to drop Google Account password

Abner Li | Apr 15 2024 - 10:13 pm PT

Google is emailing Android users about an upcoming Play Store change to encourage the use of purchase verification via biometric authentication.

Today, going to Play Store settings > Purchase verification and turning on the “Biometric verification” toggle, which now uses a Material 3 switch, requires that you enter your Google Account password to proceed.

In the future, “you’ll use your fingerprint or face instead of your Google Account password” to confirm this preference.

Google detailed this upcoming change in a “Your Google Play purchase verification settings” email: “In the coming weeks, there will be a change in how you confirm your setting when you choose biometric verification.”

The company really wants you to “turn on purchase verification for every purchase.” To encourage that, the Play Store is making the biometric set-up process a little bit simpler. You have three Verification frequency options: Always, Every 30 minutes, or Never.

In the email, Google says to “use caution in storing biometrics of children or others on your device, as those could be used for purchase verification,” and to “avoid sharing passwords with others.”