Passkeys: all the news and updates around passwordless sign-ins

Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo from Getty Images Follow along as websites, apps, and services adopt passkeys in preparation for a passwordless future. The need to remember lengthy, complicated passwords to sign in to your accounts could soon be a thing of the past thanks to passkeys: a new login technology that replaces passwords with the authentication mechanisms built into your own devices. Unlike passwords or PINs, which can be stolen, they link access to the websites, apps, and services that support passkey sign-on with Face ID on your iPhone, Windows Hello on your PC, or the fingerprint / facial recognition on your Android phone. Passkeys are built on WebAuthn (or Web Authentication) tech and stored directly on your device and can also be used with hardware security keys. Since Apple, Google, and Microsoft jointly announced support passkeys in 2022, all three have built the technology into their platforms, while third parties, including password managers like 1Password and Dashlane, have also joined in to help backup and sync passkeys across all your devices. According to the FIDO Alliance, as of 2024, passkeys are already supported by 20 percent of the world’s top 100 websites and services, covering more than 13 billion accounts that can use them to sign in. It’s expected that passkeys will eventually replace passwords entirely, though it’s going to take some time. Here, you can follow all the updates and developments — including which companies have rolled out support in preparation for a passwordless future.