Imagine a future where passwords don’t exist. Instead of trying to remember them, or using administrators to make it easier, you could log in on any device using your fingerprint, face or unlock pin. Big tech is aiming for a future with this dynamic, and while there’s a lot of work to be done, Alphabet just took an important step toward achieving it.
The Mountain View giant announced that all Google users can now log in through Passkeys to services and apps. We are talking about an alternative authentication solution to passwords, and more secure than them, based on cryptographic keys that the user does not need to know because they are stored on authorized devices and can be synchronized through the cloud.
Passkeys begin to take shape
The tech industry, as we say, aspires to a password-free future. To do this, players such as Google, Microsoft and Apple have joined the FIDO Alliance so that Passkeys can be used easily. between apps and devices in different ecosystems. In the specific case of the browser company, you can now, for example, create an “access token” on your iPhone and use it to connect to a Mac with an Edge browser.
In other words, the need to configure Passkeys on each device disappears, opening the door to a simpler and safer way to connect. Although, yes, passwords and complementary methods such as two-step verification (2FA) will continue to be available since getting used to a new method of logging into our accounts is not something that happens overnight.
The best way to prepare for this new system is to experiment with it. Activating Passkeys is very simple. To do it, from any google pagetap on your profile picture and then Manage Google accounts. The next step is to tap on the table Safety and then in the section access key. Before proceeding to the next step, the system will ask you to log in with your credentials.
Once you’re logged in, select Create access key and tap on Continue. Depending on the device you are using, you will be asked to access the biometric identification system. If you configure Passkeys from a mobile you will have the possibility to use it to log in on other devices. How? Simply read with the camera a QR code that will appear when you try to log in to your Google account with Passkey activated.
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