Passkeys are here for iOS and coming soon to Android

by James · November 12, 2022

A weak password is a welcome mat for fraudsters and hackers. Strong, unique passwords are among your first lines of defense when it comes to online security.

We hope you don’t use the same passwords for multiple accounts. We hope your passwords are not easy to guess. And we really hope your password isn’t “password”! Here are 10 ways to secure your accounts with strong passwords.

Want an easier option? Access keys take the guesswork out of it all and eliminate passwords altogether. Apple’s password system, introduced with iOS 16, is a quick and easy way to get into your accounts.

How to use passwords to sign in to your accounts with iPhone.

Table of Contents

What is a password?

Passport keys are unique digital keys that are more secure than two-factor authentication. They use Touch ID or Face ID for verification and are end-to-end encrypted.

Because Apple Passkeys are synced with iCloud Keychain, you can use them across your Apple devices. You can even use your iPhone to sign in to apps and websites on non-Apple devices.

The technology goes a long way in preventing cyber attacks, as Apple’s passwords are tied to the app or website they were created for. When you create an online account with a website, you can use a password instead of a password. This key is stored on your device, not a server. This a lot reduces the risk of being hacked.

It is much more difficult for cybercriminals to obtain fingerprint or facial scan information than it is for them to obtain it by other means, such as brute force attacks.

How to use Apple’s password feature

You must have iCloud Keychain turned on and 2FA enabled to use Passkey. And hey, you should have 2FA enabled anyway! Tap or click here for everything you need to know about this important safety feature.

Depending on the website, browser, or app you use, saving an iPhone passkey and iCloud Keychain usually consists of these steps:

For a new account: Enter an account name on the registration screen.
For an existing account: Sign in with your password, then go to the account management screen.
When you see the option to save a passkey for the account, tap Continue.

When you’re using a device that’s not associated with your Apple ID, you can still sign in to an account using the password stored on your iPhone. This is how:

Use the other device to go to the login screen for your account.
On the login screen, tap the account name field.
Press Other possibilities, Access key from nearby device or similar, then follow the on-screen instructions to display a QR code on the screen.
Use the iPhone camera to scan the QR code.

RELATED: Security tip: Turn on the VPN the next time you stay in a hotel

Passkeys are coming to Android

Passkeys will not be exclusive to iOS. Google has announced that password support is coming to both Android devices and the Google Chrome browser later this year. Google’s password system will work much like Apple’s. Access keys are backed up and synced to computers and Android phones through the cloud.

Users can create and use passwords on Android devices, which are securely synced through Google Password Manager. Logging in to an account with a password is easy:

Select the account you want to log into.
Present your fingerprint, face or screen lock when prompted.

A passkey on a phone can also be used to log into a nearby device. For example, an Android user can log into a website with a passcode using Safari on a Mac. And password support in Chrome means a Chrome user on Windows can do the same using a password saved on their iPhone. Tidy!