Login without password | Moving

In October of last year, support for passwordless logins began with a technology called passkeys. This is Google’s version of the authentication standard developed by the FIDO Alliance, which consists of Apple, Google, and Microsoft. At the time, beta versions of software were required to be able to use the technology, but it’s just about to be rolled out widely.

Passkey technology allows the user to create keys that sync with Google Password Manager. Keys can be used on all major platforms and browsers, and there is also the ability for developers to add passkey support for tools and services via the WebAuthn API. With Keys, the user logs in using fingerprint, facial recognition, or a local PIN instead of using passwords and two-way verification. According to Google itself, technology with keys should provide stronger protection against phishing and data breaches than passwords and other two-factor authentication methods. For example, keys cannot be written down or given to others, and if a device containing keys is lost, they can be revoked remotely via user account settings.

Passkeys can be generated on most platforms including iOS, as the keys sync with iCloud Keychain.