Google has now joined Apple in offering Passkeys – a form of password optimisation that is expected to bring about the end of the password, but how does someone actually use the new feature?
That’s what we’re going to be dealing with here. Whether you’re used to the Apple ecosystem or you’re used to Google’s apps across the internet and Android devices, you’ll be interested to know that Passkeys work as a cross-industry standard from Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Here’s how you can start to use them.
Just be aware that not every app supports Passkeys at the moment, nor does every website. It’s crucial that apps offer individual support for the service across Apple and Google accounts and devices, as Passkeys rely on cryptographic keys, where you have your password, which functionally becomes half a password, and the website has the other, effectively becoming more secure.
Passkeys are also device-reliant, meaning that to log in to a key-secured app on your phone, tablet or computer, you will need to use the key unique to that device.
How do I use Passkeys on an Apple device?
Apple offers Passkeys across its mobile, tablet and Mac platforms, letting you sign into services using your fingerprint, face ID or an external security key. You will need an Apple account and will need to have iCloud enabled.
If you want to start using Passkeys on either an iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:
- Sign into your Apple account with your password
- Tap on iCloud
- Select Passwords and Keychain
- Toggle ‘on’ Sync this phone
- When you see the option to save your password to your Passkey, press ‘continue’
- At this point, you can continue to use passwords as normal, but when prompted by Apple, click ‘Continue’ when the Passkeys popup appears when signing into the accounts you use for your services.
If you want to use Passkeys on a Mac, follow the following steps:
- When signing into your account, you should see the option to use Passkeys popup
- At this point, Apple will ask how you would like to sign in to your computer going forward. You get the choice between TouchID, a QR code with your iPhone or iPad, or an external security key
- Going forward, you can sign into your accounts using the same login, but you’ll need to enable it as you go.
How do I use Google Passkeys?
If you’re more used to Google services, which you may use through your browser (via a Google account to login to things like YouTube, Google Drive and whatever apps you have affiliated with that Gmail account), all you’ll need to do is head over to the official Google Passkeys page: http://g.co/passkeys.
- From here, sign into your Google (Gmail) account. You may need to verify yourself with a verification code sent to your mobile device or email.
- Now you will get the option to use the service – just click the ‘Use Passkeys’ button. You can use your FaceID, fingerprint or an external password to sign in
- To create a key, click ‘Manage Devices’ and ‘Create Passkey’. Google will automatically set up passkeys on devices your Google account is currently logged into
- Going forward, select apps and websites that you sign into using the Google account you used earlier will offer Passkey sign-in options (provided that you’re using a trusted device and is listed on the earlier page). If you use a Windows computer, you can use your PIN as a Passkey through Windows Hello.
Stay secure
If you’re interested in staying on the safe side of online security, then it’s a good idea to use Passkeys. It might seem like a lot of extra work, but if you’re getting into an account that may have sensitive information, such as your email, cloud drive or banking apps, then you should consider activating this feature on your devices.