Google Accounts Can Now Use Passkeys Instead of Passwords

Google, Apple, Microsoft, and other companies have been building Passkeys as a replacement for passwords, but support is still limited. That’s changing in a big way today, as you can now use them with Google accounts.

Google is rolling out support for Passkeys to personal Google accounts — school or work accounts can’t use them yet. The new feature allows you to log in entirely with a fingerprint, face scan, or screen lock PIN, backed by a key stored on a primary device, like a phone. Some platforms can synchronize your passkeys to the cloud, such as 1Password.

For now, Google is positioning Passkeys as an alternative to passwords in some circumstances, rather than a full-on replacement. You can’t remove the password from your Google account after setting up Passkeys, but that might come at some point in the future.

Google

Google said in a blog post, “Last year — alongside FIDO Alliance, Apple and Microsoft — we announced we would begin work to support passkeys on our platform as an easier and more secure alternative to passwords. And today, ahead of World Password Day, we’ve begun rolling out support for passkeys across Google Accounts on all major platforms. They’ll be an additional option that people can use to sign in, alongside passwords, 2-Step Verification (2SV), etc.”

You can enable Passkeys for your account by visiting g.co/passkeys.

Source: Google