Google accounts now support passkeys

Google is heading toward a passwordless future. The tech giant has announced the rollout of passkeys to Google account users globally. The company recalled its partnership with FIDO Alliance, Apple, and Microsoft last year and hinted at working on passkeys. 

“And today, ahead of World Password Day, we’ve begun rolling out support for passkeys across Google Accounts on all major platforms. They will be an additional option that people can use to sign in, alongside passwords, and 2-Step Verification (2SV),” Google wrote.

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What are passkeys?

According to the Google blog post, passkeys allow users to sign in to apps and sites just like how fingerprints, face scans, and screen lock PINs have unlocked devices. The company noted that it has shared about passkey experiences on Chrome and Android, which services like Docusign, Kayak, PayPal, Shopify, and Yahoo Japan have already deployed to streamline sign-in for their users. 

Users can try to set them up by logging in to their Google Account. Google will soon roll out the option to enable passkeys for administrators of Google Workspace accounts.

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Unlike passwords, passkeys are resistant to online attacks like phishing, making them more secure than things like SMS one-time codes, the company revealed.

Meanwhile, the tech giant is adding a blue checkmark to select senders’ names on Gmail to verify their identity. Google and Apple have announced a partnership to help combat the misuse of Bluetooth location-tracking devices for unwanted tracking.

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