USING PASSKEYS ON A MAC
By
Seth Rosenblum
Posted: 2024-07-31T16:08:12Z
Passkeys are a more secure alternative to passwords for signing in to online accounts.
Passkeys are digital keys saved to your iCloud Keychain. They are backed up and synced across all of your Apple devices. You can use a passkey to sign in to apps and websites on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and web browsers on other platforms.
Passkeys keep your accounts more secure than passwords do. They use powerful cryptography, which makes every passkey strong. Unlike passwords, malicious websites cannot trick you into giving away your passkeys.
You sign in to apps and websites with passkeys differently than you do with passwords. When prompted to sign in with a passkey, you use Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode.
Your biometric information and device passcode are never sent to the service you're signing in to.
Not all sites and apps accept Passkeys, some will pop up a message asking if you want to turn it on when you log in, or you may find an option in the profile/Security settings area of the website or app. You can do this in Google by going to Manage your account: Security: scroll down till you see Passkeys.
Creating a Passkey does not remove or delete your existing password, you will still be able to log in with your password if the Passkey fails. So, if your existing password is weak you should still change it to make the account secure. The exception to this is Microsoft which has a passwordless passkey login. As passkeys evolve and become more widely adopted it is expected that passwords will slowly disappear.