Is a password-free future possible? Google has announced a passwordless sign in service called Google Passkey. Should you care about this update? What’s the Big G saying about security? Before providing a short overview,
let us also note that the product is currently in limited availability and invitation-only, so even if you are not invited to sign up yet, you may still receive an email from Google stating that an invitation is available.
The answer to the question “Is a passwordless future possible?“, which has been discussed for years, is slowly being given. Thanks to the password key feature published by Google, users will be able to log into accounts without using a password as of today.
In this context, the company opened its Google Passkey feature to all users, and it is stated that the user identity can be verified without the need for a password. This means that passwords entered at login are no longer the only option to protect access to systems, applications and devices.
Google announced this new feature as “For the first time, we’ve begun rolling out passkeys, the easiest and most secure way to sign in to apps and websites and a major step toward a “passwordless future.“
What is Google Passkey?
Google Passkey is a new service that allows you to use your phone to access your accounts. It’s a form of 2FA, or two-factor authentication. Currently, many sites have some form of 2FA in place—usually it’s an app that generates a code you need to enter when logging into your account, but the code changes every 30 seconds or so. This helps prevent someone from hijacking your account if they get their hands on your password.
But what if someone got their hands on your phone? Then they’d also have access to everything else you store on there—like your photos and contacts and messages. That’s where Google Passkey comes in: instead of using an app to generate codes for logging into an account, it uses your phone as an authenticator—you just tap “yes” when prompted on your phone and the system recognizes that as valid authentication rather than requiring you to enter a code from an app.
This means that even if someone steals your passwords or gets hold of one device with them stored on it (like a laptop), they can’t access anything else because all their other devices don’t have access codes stored within them—they’re stored.
Passkeys are currently only compatible with personal accounts. But it is expected to be available for Workspace soon. However, let’s not go without adding that activating the encryption key is entirely up to the user’s will. You can also switch to Google Passkey at g.co/passkeys.
Google might just have the key to making online security easier and safer. This new step in a password-free future will likely add another layer of protection to your account, but will also make it a lot easier for you to remember your login information.
In short, Google Passkey is a great start for creating a password-free future, and will likely keep your accounts safe for years to come.