Learn About Passkey Setup and Security

Understanding What Passkeys Are and How They Work

A passkey is a type of digital security tool that replaces traditional passwords. Instead of typing a password made of letters and numbers, you use something you already have — like your fingerprint, face recognition, or a PIN on your device — to prove who you are online. The technology behind passkeys is called FIDO2 (Fast Identity Online), which was developed by major tech companies and security experts working together.

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When you set up a passkey, your device creates two linked codes: a public code and a private code. The public code is shared with websites you use, while the private code stays only on your device and never leaves it. Think of it like a lock and key system. The website has the lock (public code), and your device holds the key (private code). When you try to sign in, your device checks that both pieces match, confirming you are who you say you are.

Passkeys work across many platforms. Major companies like Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Meta have all added passkey support to their services. This means you can use a passkey to sign into your email, social media, banking apps, and many other accounts. The list of companies supporting passkeys continues to grow, with over 500 services now offering this option according to recent industry surveys.

The key difference from passwords is that passkeys are tied to your specific device or account. If someone steals a list of passwords from a website, all those accounts are at risk. With passkeys, even if hackers get data from a website, they cannot use it to break into your account because they do not have access to your private code.

Practical takeaway: Passkeys are a replacement for passwords that uses something unique to your device — like your fingerprint or face — to verify your identity instead of requiring you to remember and type a complex string of characters.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Your First Passkey

Setting up a passkey begins with choosing which service you want to protect. Many people start with their email account since email is the key to recovering other accounts if you forget passwords. Major email providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail all support passkeys. Once you have chosen your account, you will go to your account settings, which are usually found in a menu labeled "Security," "Account," or "Settings."

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In your account security settings, look for an option labeled "Passkeys," "Passwordless sign-in," or "Authentication methods." Different websites use different names for this feature. Click on the option to add a new passkey. Your device or browser will then ask you to verify your identity using your biometric option (fingerprint or face) or a PIN. This verification confirms that you are the person making this change.

After you verify your identity, your device will create the two linked codes we discussed earlier. This process happens automatically and takes only a few seconds. Some devices will ask you to give the passkey a name, like "My iPhone" or "My Windows Laptop," so you can tell them apart if you create passkeys on multiple devices. You do not need to write down or memorize anything — your device handles all the technical details.

Once your passkey is created, you should receive a confirmation message on your screen. Many services will ask if you want to keep your old password as a backup for a while. You can do this if you want extra security while you get used to using passkeys. However, once you feel comfortable, you can remove the password entirely. Some accounts even let you create multiple passkeys on different devices, so you can sign in using your phone, computer, or tablet.

Testing your new passkey is important. Sign out of your account completely, then try signing back in using the passkey. Look for a button that says "Sign in with passkey" or similar text instead of entering a username and password. Use your fingerprint, face, or PIN to authenticate, and you should be signed back in within seconds.

Practical takeaway: Setting up a passkey involves going to your account security settings, creating the passkey using your device's biometric option, and then testing it by signing out and back in to confirm it works properly.

Security Benefits of Passkeys Compared to Passwords

Passkeys provide significant security improvements over traditional passwords. According to research from Google, passkeys can reduce account takeovers by up to 94 percent. This dramatic difference happens because passkeys are resistant to the most common types of attacks that work against passwords.

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One major threat to passwords is phishing. Phishing occurs when someone tricks you into visiting a fake website that looks like a real one and entering your login information. For example, you might receive an email that appears to be from your bank, asking you to verify your account. The link takes you to a fake website that looks identical to your real bank, and you enter your username and password. The attacker now has your real credentials. With passkeys, this attack fails because the passkey only works with the authentic website. If you accidentally visit a fake site, your device will not unlock the passkey because the fake site is not the real one.

Another common attack is password reuse. Many people use the same password on multiple websites to make it easier to remember. If one website gets hacked and passwords are stolen, attackers will try that same password on other popular sites. Studies show that about 80 percent of data breaches involve reused or weak passwords. Passkeys eliminate this risk because each passkey is unique to the device and account where it was created.

Passkeys also protect against weak passwords. Humans are notoriously bad at creating strong passwords. We tend to choose words we can remember, which makes them easier to guess. Passkeys are generated by your device and are mathematically complex, making them impossible to crack through guessing. Research from Microsoft found that the average person uses only 10 to 15 different passwords for dozens of accounts, with many being variations of the same weak pattern.

Brute force attacks, where someone uses computer power to try millions of password combinations, do not work against passkeys. The security system checks your biometric or PIN first, and then uses cryptographic technology that makes guessing impossible, even with the most powerful computers.

Practical takeaway: Passkeys protect you from phishing, password reuse attacks, weak password vulnerabilities, and brute force attempts — the four most common ways attackers gain unauthorized entry to accounts.

How to Use Passkeys for Signing Into Your Accounts

Once you have set up a passkey, using it is straightforward. When you visit a website or open an app and need to sign in, look for a sign-in button or link. You will typically see options like "Sign in with passkey," "Use passkey," or a biometric icon (usually a fingerprint or face symbol). Click or tap this option instead of entering a username and password.

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Your device will then ask you to authenticate using whatever method you set up during passkey creation. If you chose fingerprint authentication, place your finger on the sensor. If you chose face recognition, look at your device's camera. If you chose a PIN, type the code you created. This process takes just a few seconds. Your device verifies that it is really you, and then the passkey is sent to the website to complete your sign-in.

One useful feature of passkeys is that they work across your devices if they are linked to the same account. For example, if you created a passkey on your iPhone and you are trying to sign into a website on your computer, your computer can ask your iPhone to confirm your identity. A notification will appear on your iPhone asking if you want to allow the sign-in. You approve it with your fingerprint or face on your phone, and you are logged in on your computer. This feature works as long as both devices are connected to the internet and associated with the same account — such as your Apple ID or Microsoft account.

Some services still allow you to use a password as a backup option while you transition to passkeys. You might see a checkbox that says "Sign in with password instead" if the service supports this. However, once you feel fully confident with passkeys, you can remove the password option entirely. Many security experts recommend doing this eventually because it removes the weaker password as a potential vulnerability.

If you travel to a new device that does not have your passkey, most services will allow you to sign in using a recovery method. This might be a backup passkey you created earlier, recovery codes the service provided, or temporarily using a password. This is why it is important to set up passkeys on