Google today proudly announced the “beginning of the end of password”. That’s because, for the first time, it’s starting to roll out passkeys, which it calls “the easiest and most secure way to sign into apps and websites and a major step toward a passwordless future.”
Those are really big words. Passkeys let you sign in to apps and websites the same way you unlock your phone: with a fingerprint, face scan, or screen lock PIN. Thus, passkeys resist online attacks such as phishing, making them more secure than things like one-time SMS codes.
However, keep in mind that if you use passkeys, the screen unlock PIN is now the weak link — if it’s something like 1234 or 0000 and someone steals your phone, they’ll be able to access all of your accounts protected by passkeys, too.
Starting today, signing in with a passkey will be an option for Google Account users. Services such as Docusign, Kayak, PayPal, Shopify, and Yahoo! Japan has already deployed some level of support for passkeys as well.
If you want to try passkeys for your Google account, go here. And don’t forget to set a strong multi-digit PIN on your phone. For Google Workspace accounts, administrators will soon have the option to enable passkeys for their end users.