Chrome sync back in 2009, powered by the Google Account, our goal then, as it is today, was simple: help users access their bookmarks, passwords, tabs and more, across devices. At the time, this was best achieved by a sync model: synchronizing device data with your account and therefore requiring both sign-in and enabling sync.
Over the years, the digital world has changed and user expectations have evolved significantly. Cloud services emerged in 2010, and over the past 15 years, the concept of having a digital identity became more prevalent, especially through smartphones and mobile apps. Today, users increasingly expect to just sign in to get access to their stuff and sign out to keep it safe.
Given this evolution of technology and user norms, we’re continuing to make progress on transforming our legacy sync model into one that more seamlessly meets the expectation users have today. From the point of signing in to Chrome you’ll get access to your saved passwords, addresses, and other data from your Google Account. Where relevant, we’ll offer you the choice to sign into Chrome for a customized browsing experience on any device. For example, you can sign in and start to plan a trip on your phone during your commute, and then seamlessly finish it up on any device. Send tabs between your devices, find your bookmarks and use autogenerated passwords with ease.
As always, you have control - we strive to provide an excellent browser experience regardless of whether you choose to sign in or not. Additionally, saving your history and open tabs to your account remains a separate opt-in after signing into Chrome.
Stay tuned for updates on this change - already on iOS and coming to Android and Desktop soon.
Posted by Claire Charron, Chrome Product Manager
