Google takes first step toward "passwordless future," begins passkey rollout

For many years we’ve used passwords to protect our accounts. But that status quo could be changing sooner than later. Today, Google has taken its first steps toward achieving a “passwordless future.”

On the eve of World Password Day, Google announced that it is introducing a new, more secure way to log in to Google accounts. The Mountain View-based firm is now starting to roll out passkey support for Google accounts.

This development was a year in the making with the company officially announcing its work on passkey support on May 5, 2022. And Google isn’t the only player in the game as it’s joined by the likes of Microsoft, Apple, and FIDO Alliance.

As the company describes in its blog post, passkeys allow users to “sign in to apps and sites the same way they unlock their devices: with a fingerprint, a face scan or a screen lock PIN.” Passkeys are considered more secure than passwords and SMS one-time codes because they are more resistant to threats like phishing.

While Google is hopeful that passkeys will one day replace passwords, it’s not getting rid of them quite yet. The tech giant states that passwords and two-step verification (2SV) will still be around for now.

For anyone interested in setting up a passkey, you can click on the link here. It will take you to a page asking if you want to use or create a passkey. When you click on the button, a popup will tell you that you can now use passkeys to sign in.