The end of passwords may come sooner than we thought. Google has officially made passkeys the default login method for all personal accounts on its network.
If you don’t remember, access keys are set to become the “next evolution of online security.” Instead of a long password, this technology typically uses a four-digit PIN or “biometric credentials” for easy login. They are also said to reduce the chance of your credentials being hijacked by bad actors or being targeted for some form of account takeover. To encourage adoption, Google starts sending prompts to users informing them of the recent change and where they can go to create an access key.
Easy installation
Fortunately, generating an access key is quite simple (in fact, we have a guide that describes the entire process). In short, you need to go to the company official password websiteand then create a PIN or link your biometric data to your account. You can use fingerprints or your own face, assuming your device supports facial recognition. Then you connect your smartphone and you’re done.
There are some limitations to keep in mind. PCs must have at least Windows 10, while for Macs it must be macOS Ventura. Smartphones must have Android 9 or iOS 16. Furthermore, this technology only works in a handful of browsers: Microsoft Edge, Safari and Google Chrome. Of course they should use their latest versions.
If you are not interested in access codes, you have the option to unsubscribe. Go to the Login options pagefind ‘Skip password if possible’ and turn off the switch.
Upcoming changes
We reached out to Google to ask why the company felt it was time to make access keys the standard so soon after it came on the scene. Support for the security feature was released in May this year. As it turns out, they seem to be quite popular with users.
Kimberly Samra, security communications manager at Google, told us that 64 percent of people surveyed found the feature “easier to use than traditional sign-in methods.” In addition, the company discovered that logging in with a password is “40 percent faster than” a regular password, according to internal analysis.
The passkey saga doesn’t end there, as Google says it’s working with select “partners” across multiple industries to make the new login system usable in Chrome and Android. It is already present on Uber and eBay and there are plans to expand it to WhatsApp soon. From there, the tech giant will continue to encourage other platforms to move to a password key to eventually make passwords completely obsolete.
If you’re looking for ways to further strengthen your online security, we recommend checking out TechRadar’s list of the best antivirus software for 2023.