Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge could soon auto-skip CAPTCHAs

Web users today yearn for a seamless browsing experience without the incessant verification systems requesting proof of their humanity. CAPTCHAs have long been a source of collective internet exasperation, prompting many to pick out traffic signals and identify buses. However, salvation seems to be on the horizon, as significant advancements are underway to lessen this constant validation burden.

Google Chrome recently introduced a new auto-verify feature for CAPTCHAs, and now, Microsoft Edge is following suit with its Android version. As spotted by browser researcher Leopeva64, Edge is in the process of introducing the feature on its Dev and Canary channels.

When activated, the setting allows websites where a user has previously confirmed their humanity to store a digital token akin to a cookie. This stored “proof” can then be accessed by other sites to ascertain the user’s human status, all without revealing one’s browser history. Instead, websites can independently affirm the user’s humanity in collaboration with Edge.

Leopeva64 also reports that Edge’s Android version should soon include an “On-device encryption” option that would encrypt saved passwords locally before syncing them to Microsoft’s password manager service. This feature is still in its nascent stage and is not yet operational on its desktop counterpart.

It’s good to see Microsoft investing more in the Android version of its increasingly popular browser. With the lawsuit over Google Chrome’s Incognito Mode looming large, innovations from other players in the browser space are more important than ever. At the very least, the era of incessant, irksome CAPTCHA verifications might soon be a thing of the past.