Free Guide to Understanding Passkeys and Security

What Are Passkeys and How Do They Work

Passkeys are a modern way to sign into accounts without using traditional passwords. Instead of typing a password, you use something you already have—like your fingerprint, face, or a device you own. This method is based on technology called public-key cryptography, which has been used by security professionals for decades.

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When you set up a passkey, your device creates two linked pieces of information: a public key and a private key. The public key gets stored on the website or service you're signing into. The private key stays only on your device and never leaves it. When you log in, your device proves it has the correct private key without ever sending that key to the website. This is fundamentally different from passwords, where you send the actual password over the internet each time you log in.

The biometric part—your fingerprint or face—is used locally on your device to unlock access to your passkey. Your fingerprint data doesn't get sent anywhere. Instead, it's stored securely on your phone, computer, or security key and used only to verify that it's really you trying to use the passkey. Major companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft have all built passkey technology into their devices.

Currently, passkeys work on most newer smartphones (both iPhone and Android), computers (Windows and Mac), and security keys (small physical devices that plug into your computer). The technology is becoming more common across websites and apps every month. Some financial institutions, email providers, and social media platforms already offer passkeys as a sign-in option.

Practical Takeaway: Passkeys replace passwords by using your device and your biometric (fingerprint or face) to prove who you are. Your actual passkey information never leaves your device, which makes this method more secure than sending passwords across the internet.

The Security Advantages of Passkeys Over Passwords

Passwords have been the standard for online security for decades, but they have significant weaknesses. According to security research, over 60% of data breaches involve stolen or weak passwords. People tend to reuse passwords across multiple sites, which means if one site gets hacked, attackers can try that password on many other accounts. Additionally, passwords can be intercepted during transmission, guessed through brute-force attacks, or stolen through phishing scams where someone tricks you into entering your password on a fake website.

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Passkeys address these core weaknesses in several ways. First, they cannot be phished. Even if you visit a fake website designed to look like your bank, you cannot accidentally sign in because your device will recognize that the website is fraudulent. Your passkey simply won't work on the wrong website. This is because the passkey is cryptographically tied to the specific website's address. Hackers cannot trick you into using your passkey on their fake site.

Second, passkeys cannot be compromised through data breaches the way passwords can. When a website stores passwords, it must protect them using a technique called hashing. Even with hashing, large breaches can expose thousands or millions of passwords. With passkeys, the private key never exists on the company's servers. There's no central database of passkeys to steal. If a website using passkeys gets hacked, attackers only get the public key, which is useless without the private key that stays on your device.

Third, passkeys cannot be reused or forgotten because each one is unique to each website or app. You don't need to remember different complex passwords for different sites. Your device manages everything. This means you can have truly unique, secure credentials for every account without the burden of remembering them.

Research from organizations like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and major tech security teams shows that passkeys eliminate the most common types of account takeover attacks. In 2023, Google reported that passkeys blocked 100% of phishing attempts in their testing, compared to passwords and two-factor codes, which did not prevent phishing.

Practical Takeaway: Passkeys prevent phishing attacks, cannot be stolen in data breaches the way passwords are, and eliminate the problem of password reuse across multiple sites. They provide significantly stronger security than traditional passwords.

How to Set Up and Use Passkeys on Your Devices

Setting up a passkey depends on which device you use and which website or app offers the feature. The general process is similar across most platforms, though specific steps vary. Start by going to the account settings or security settings of the service where you want to add a passkey. Look for options labeled "passkey," "passwordless sign-in," "biometric sign-in," or "security key." Not all services offer passkeys yet, but the list is growing regularly and includes Google accounts, Microsoft accounts, Apple iCloud accounts, financial institutions, and many others.

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On an iPhone, you'll use Face ID or your fingerprint. When you choose to add a passkey in your account settings, your phone will ask you to confirm your face or fingerprint. That's it—your passkey is created and stored securely in your device. The next time you sign in from that iPhone (or from another Apple device linked to the same iCloud account), you can choose to sign in with your passkey instead of a password. Your device will ask for your face or fingerprint, and you'll be signed in.

On an Android phone, the process is similar. You'll use your fingerprint or face unlock, depending on your device's capabilities. Google has built passkey support into Android and across Google services. When you set up a passkey on Android, it's stored through Google's passkey system and can be used across your Android devices and computers that are connected to your Google account.

On a computer, you can create a passkey using Windows Hello (on Windows computers) or Face ID/Touch ID (on Macs). When you sign into a website on your computer that supports passkeys, the browser will offer the option to sign in with your passkey. You'll confirm with your face, fingerprint, or PIN, and you'll be signed in. If you're on a computer without biometric capabilities, you can still use a passkey with a security key—a small physical device you plug in that stores your passkey.

If you have multiple devices, your passkeys will sync across them if you use the same account (like iCloud for Apple devices or Google Account for Android and Chrome devices). This means you can create a passkey on your phone and later sign in on your laptop without creating a new one. However, passkeys are tied to the ecosystem—an Apple passkey created through iCloud will work across Apple devices, while a Google passkey works across Google-linked devices.

For websites that don't yet support passkeys, you'll continue using passwords. Most people won't switch everything to passkeys overnight. You can add passkeys gradually as more services support them, keeping your passwords for other accounts until they update their sign-in systems.

Practical Takeaway: Setting up a passkey takes less than a minute on most devices. You navigate to account security settings, confirm your identity with your face or fingerprint, and the passkey is created. Your device manages it from there, and you sign in by using your biometric in the future.

Understanding Passkey Security and Recovery Options

One common concern about passkeys is: what happens if you lose your device? Since your passkey is stored on your phone or computer, losing that device might seem like losing access to your accounts. However, most passkey systems include recovery options. If you're using iCloud to manage your passkeys, Apple stores an encrypted copy of your passkeys on Apple's servers. If your iPhone is lost or stolen, you can sign into iCloud on a new device, and your passkeys will be available. Similarly, Google's passkey system backs up your passkeys to your Google Account, so if you get a new Android phone or sign in from a new device, you can still access your passkeys.

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The encryption used to protect these backups is designed so that even the company storing them cannot access them without your authentication. Apple's system uses a technology called end-to-end encryption, which means only your devices can decrypt your backed-up passkeys. Google uses similar security. This maintains the security advantage of passkeys while providing the practical recovery option you need.

Another security feature of passkeys is that they are resistant to account takeover even if someone gets access to your email account. With passwords, if someone hacks your email, they can often reset your password for other accounts. With passkeys, they cannot do this because your passkey is stored on your device, not managed through email.