Google launches passkeys to sign in to apps, websites

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Google on Wednesday announced it has started rolling out support for passkeys across Google accounts on all major platforms, marking the beginning of the end of the password.

The passkeys will be an additional option that people can use to sign in, alongside passwords, 2-Step Verification (2SV), etc.

"While passwords will be with us for some time to come, they are often frustrating to remember and put you at risk if they end up in the wrong hands," said Christiaan Brand, Group Product Manager and Sriram Karra, Senior Product Manager at Google.

According to the company, passkeys are a new way to sign in to apps and websites, easier to use and more secure than passwords.

"Passkeys let users sign in to apps and sites the same way they unlock their devices: with a fingerprint, a face scan or a screen lock PIN. And, unlike passwords, passkeys are resistant to online attacks like phishing, making them more secure than things like SMS one-time codes," Google explained.

Services like Docusign, Kayak, PayPal, Shopify and Yahoo! Japan have already deployed passkeys to streamline sign-in for their users.

"Starting today, this will be available as an option for Google Account users who want to try a passwordless sign-in experience," said the company.

For Google Workspace accounts, administrators will soon have the option to enable passkeys for their end-users during sign-in.

"The change to passkeys will take time. That's why passwords and 2SV will still work for Google accounts," said Google.

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