Google has taken another step toward a passwordless future with the introduction of Passkeys, a new cryptographic key solution that allows users to sign in without traditional passwords or two-step verification codes. Google and other large tech firms are promoting passkeys as a safer and more practical substitute for passwords, replacing them with a personal identification number aka PIN or biometric authentication, such a fingerprint or Face ID.
Passkeys provide greater security and protection because they only exist on users’ devices and are not shared with Google or any third party.
Users who add a passkey to their Google account will also be asked for it when logging in or whenever there is possibly suspicious activity that calls for further verification.
Passkeys are stored on compatible hardware, such as iPhones running iOS 16 and Android devices running Android 9, and can be shared between devices using services like iCloud or password managers like Dashlane and 1Password. However, Google recommends against creating passkeys on shared devices, as it could compromise the security of the user’s account.
Google users can revoke passkeys immediately in the account settings if they suspect someone else has access to their account or if they lose the only device that stores the passkey. Google’s Advanced Protection Program users can also choose to use passkeys instead of their physical security keys for additional security protections against phishing and malicious apps.
While passkey support is not yet widely adopted, Google accounts will continue to support existing login methods like passwords for the time being.Google, however, is urging users to convert to passkeys right away since it intends to eventually make the switch to passkeys completely.
The introduction of passkeys is an important development in the push toward a passwordless future, and it is expected to accelerate the adoption of passkeys among service providers. The broad implementation of passkeys by Google is expected to serve as a tipping point for the accelerated adoption of passkeys.
In conclusion, the introduction of passkeys by Google is a big step towards a password-free future because they offer a safer and more practical substitute for conventional passwords and two-step verification codes.Google’s launch of passkeys is projected to speed up the acceptance of passkeys among consumers and service providers, even though passkey support is still not extensively used.
