14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft, which is now one of the largest contributors to the Chromium browsing engine, has recently started the work on a new feature that would eventually makes it way to Edge, Chrome, and the other applications based on the same project.
Specifically, Microsoft wants to implement a reveal password option that would technically allow users to see the text as they type in the password field on a website.
Work in progress
A commit discovered by ChromeStory indicates that the password reveal tool would also come with hotkey support, meaning that users can just press a keyboard shortcut to see the password.
“This change implements the reveal button for . The button is added using same pattern as the clear/cancel button for except that instead of using -webkit-appearance to draw the button, we use svgs defined in controls-refresh.css,” the commit reads.
“A keydown handler is added to support Alt-F8 hotkey to reveal/obscure password and logics are added to make sure the reveal button only appears with direct user input. If the password is not empty in the first place (ex. autofill or value=xxx) or the control loses focus and regains focus, or the value is changed by script, the reveal button won't show.”
Needless to say, this is just work in progress for now, so it could take a while until the feature shows up in Microsoft Edge or Chrome.
On the other hand, Microsoft bringing this idea to Chromium browser is good news, especially as the company wants to provide an experience similar to the one offered by its native Windows 10 browser.
The original version of Microsoft Edge did feature a password reveal option, so by making it available on the Chromium successor, the company can further guarantee a seamless transition from one browser to another when the time comes.