It’s easy to feel safe when logging into your computer in a public spot. All too often, those how use public WiFi to access email trust these insecure connections. If a hacker is lurking nearby, confiscating your login information is a cinch, and you’ll be locked out of your account. Well, Google wants to change the way that Gmail users log into Gmail accounts. Instead of allowing users to access Gmail using the site name and password combo, Google has been testing out the possible use of QR codes.

For a short while, Google was allowing certain users to log into Gmail accounts from public spots using QR codes. Once these codes were scanned, users could then log into an account from the safety and security of a personal smartphone. While the Google tests went very well, Google pulled the QR codes from the Gmail site earlier today. The company told press that the QR system wasn’t quite stable, and that Google is working on an even more secure way of logging into a Gmail account through a public connection.

Is This a Good Idea?

Is the idea of a QR code login a good one? For smartphone users, scanning a QR code while in public seems like a brilliant idea. Once a code has been scanned, it would be tough for a hacker to gain login information. Seemingly, this tactic is a secure one, though Google’s upcoming plans for secure logins seems even more interesting. What could be more secure than the tested QR codes? Only time will tell, but Google is sure to let all Gmail users know what these new security measures will entail as soon as the company is ready to roll.

On the flip side, a lot of people still don’t have smartphones. While this may seem relatively impossible, some people still use standard cell phones. If Google were to make signing into a Gmail account through a smartphone mandatory (while using public WiFi), those who don’t have smartphones will be left in the cold. Then again, it’s doubtful that Google has overlooked this possibility, and a standard login might still be possible even when more secure smartphone logins exist.

Google Moves Forward

The true mark of a great tech company is a company that’s constantly moving forward. Innovation and progress are the two things that all tech companies should strive for, and Google has been hitting both marks lately. Amazingly, Google hasn’t lost sight of tools like Gmail and Google Documents even though the company is knee-deep in Android concerns. The latest QR security attempt by Google just proves that this company is one to watch. Google is constantly moving forward in much the same way that Apple does.

Even though Google and Apple are at each other’s throats, these two companies have a lot in common. Both companies progress swiftly and are constantly creating. In a perfect world, Google and Apple would work together to produce some amazing products for all kinds of users. For now, this reviewer will settle for a secure Gmail login wherever one might be.