Google today announced a major update for its Chrome browser, expanding the existing Autofill system beyond just basic personal information. Until today, Chrome was able to store and autofill passwords, contact information, and forms of payment. But with the newest update, the browser is also capable of securely autofilling more sensitive identification details, such as passport numbers, driver's license details, vehicle license plates, and VINs.
The company confirmed the feature is rolling out globally across all languages, with more data categories to come.
What's New in Chrome Autofill?
1. Autofill for Passports and IDs
- Users can thus save
- Passport number
- Issue and expiry dates
- Driver's license number
- Issuing state/country
- Vehicle-related information includes the license plate and Vehicle Identification Number-VIN.
- This makes filling out travel, government, or rental forms much quicker.
2. Enhanced form detection
Google says the improved Autofill can better read:
- Complex form layouts
- Non-standard field names
- Different formatting styles
- This reduces errors and hastens online form submissions.
- For example, if you are filling out a car rental form, Chrome can now enter your name, license number, state, and other required fields automatically.
How Google protects your data
Google emphasised that user privacy remains a priority:
- Data is saved only with user consent.
- All personal information stored is encrypted.
- Chrome requests confirmation before it fills sensitive fields.
But to allow Enhanced Autofill, the user has to let Chrome briefly send the page's URL as well as some of its content to Google's servers so that the system can detect the form type.
How to enable enhanced autofill on Chrome
Follow these steps on your desktop:
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner.
- Go to Settings.
- Tap Autofill and passwords.
- Click Enhanced autofill.
- Turn on: “Chrome understands forms better and can autofill them faster for you.”
- Once enabled, Chrome will automatically detect and fill out complex identification forms for you.
Why does this update matter for users?
This enhancement especially helps customers who frequently complete:
- Travel forms Visa applications
- Car rental agreements
- Insurance documents
- Government verification forms
For Indian users, where digital paperwork is growing across services such as
- DigiLocker
- E-passports
- online driving license renewals
- Vehicle verification portals
- Chrome's enhanced Autofill can save substantial time.