Google Makes Passkeys Default for All Users

Goodbye Passwords, or Not Yet?

October 10, 2023

3 minute read

Google is making passkeys the default option, aiming to replace passwords altogether.

Google announced today that it is making passkeys the default option for users. Passkeys are a new, more secure way to sign in to online accounts that is phishing resistant.

Passkeys use public-key cryptography to authenticate users without the need for passwords. When a user creates a passkey, a public and private key pair is generated. The public key is stored on the website or app that the user is signing in to, and the private key is stored securely on the user’s device.

To sign in with a passkey, the user simply selects the passkey they want to use and authenticates it with their device’s biometric sensor or PIN. This eliminates the need to remember or type in a password.

Google has been supporting passkeys since May 2022, and the company says that it has received positive feedback from users. The company is now making passkeys the default option in order to encourage more people to use them.

Benefits of passkeys

Passkeys offer a number of benefits over passwords, including:

Security: Passkeys are more secure than passwords because they are phishing-resistant and cannot be easily cracked.
Convenience: Passkeys are easier to use than passwords because users do not have to remember or type them in.
Privacy: Passkeys are more private than passwords because they do not require users to share their personal information with websites and apps.

Timothy Morris, Chief Security Advisor at Tanium, a Kirkland, Washington-based provider of converged endpoint management (XEM) thinks it is a positive development and it will play a vital role in securing user accounts without the complication of remembering long and complex passwords.

“This news is a positive development because you can authenticate faster and you don’t have to remember complex passwords,” Timothy said. However, he argued how users will react to the recovery process of a passkey.

“You can’t just recover your passkey like you can a password. The reason we’re now at this point is because there’s enough resiliency so the recovery key process is much smoother, Timothy added.

How to use passkeys

To use passkeys, you will need to have a device that supports them. Most modern smartphones and computers support passkeys.

To create a passkey, you will need to visit the website or app that you want to sign in to and follow the instructions. Once you have created a passkey, you will be able to use it to sign in to the website or app on any device that supports a passkey.

Takeaway

Google’s decision to make passkeys the default option for users is a welcome one. Passkeys are a more secure, convenient, and private way to sign in to online accounts. I hope that more companies will follow suit and make passkeys the default option for their users as well.