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The Keyword

Passwordless by default: Make the switch to passkeys

Oct 10, 2023

[[read-time]] min read

For Cybersecurity Awareness Month we’re making it even easier for users to get started with passkeys

Sriram Karra
Senior Product Manager
Christiaan Brand
Group Product Manager
an illustration of a lock surrounded by icons like keys and fingerprints

Earlier this year we rolled out support for passkeys, a simpler and more secure way to sign into your accounts online. We’ve received really positive feedback from our users, so today we’re making passkeys even more accessible by offering them as the default option across personal Google Accounts.

This means the next time you sign in to your account, you’ll start seeing prompts to create and use passkeys, simplifying your future sign-ins. It also means you’ll see the “Skip password when possible” option toggled on in your Google Account settings.

To use passkeys, you just use a fingerprint, face scan or pin to unlock your device, and they are 40% faster than passwords — and rely on a type of cryptography that makes them more secure. But while they’re a big step forward, we know that new technologies take time to catch on — so passwords may be around for a little while. That's why people will still be given the option to use a password to sign in and may opt-out of passkeys by turning off “Skip password when possible.”

We’ve found that one of the most immediate benefits of passkeys is that they spare people the headache of remembering all those numbers and special characters in passwords. They’re also phishing resistant.

an example of a passkeys prompt on a mobile phone

Passkeys in more places

Since launching earlier this year, people have used passkeys on their favorite apps like YouTube, Search and Maps, and we’re encouraged by the results. We’re even more excited to see the growing adoption of passkeys across industry. Recently, Uber and eBay have enabled passkeys — giving people the option to ditch passwords when signing-in on their platforms — and WhatsApp compatibility will also be coming soon.

  • a quote card reading "At Uber, we are relentless in our push to create magical experiences without compromising user safety. Passkeys simplify the user experience and promote accessibility, while enhancing the security that comes from reducing the dependency on traditional passwords. Ultimately this is a win-win for Uber and Uber’s customers. We’ve seen great results from launching passkeys across our apps and encourage all users to adopt passkeys.” - Ramsin Betyousef, Sr. Director of Engineering at Uber.
  • a quote card reading “Passkey verification will make logging back into WhatsApp easier and more secure. We’re excited to launch this on WhatsApp and give users an added layer of security.” - Alice Newton-Rex, Head of Product, WhatsApp
  • a quote card reading "Passkeys offer eBay users a highly secure, fast, and smart sign-in experience that works effortlessly across devices. They have the potential to revolutionize the way our users access their accounts, and we're thrilled to see the growing adoption of this technology. We're excited to continue ramping passkeys to all of our users and platforms, as they align perfectly with our commitment to creating magical experiences for our customers. With passkeys, eBay users can focus on what truly matters to them without the challenges of managing traditional passwords. – Deepak Sharma, VP, Payments and Risk Engineering at eBay

The passwordless road ahead

We’ll keep you updated on where else you can start using passkeys across other online accounts. In the meantime, we’ll continue encouraging the industry to make the pivot to passkeys — making passwords a rarity, and eventually obsolete. For more information on how you’re safer with Google, visit myaccount.google.com/safer.

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