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If you’ve longed for the day when you don’t have to use passwords anymore, well that day just got closer. Last week Google announced that users can replace passwords with passkeys. Using passkeys, you no longer have to worry about remembering passwords, resetting passwords, or using two-factor verification.
Sounds great, right? Here’s how Google passkeys work and why you may or may not want to use them.
About Google Passkeys
Last year, Google aligned with Microsoft and Apple in a plan to have passkeys replace passwords. With passkeys, users can log into accounts without using a password. In honor of World Password Day last week, Google announced the launch of passkeys for its accounts.
With Google passkeys, you can sign into your Google accounts the same way you sign into the device you’re using: a PIN, facial recognition, or fingerprint recognition. You don’t have to worry about remembering your password, having a hacker guess your password, or having to reset your password every time you forget it.
Passkeys are stored on individual devices which then communicate with Google for verification. So someone who does not have possession of your device cannot use the passkey stored on it to log into your account.
Google explains passkeys this way:
Unlike passwords, passkeys can only exist on your devices. They cannot be written down or accidentally given to a bad actor. When you use a passkey to sign in to your Google Account, it proves to Google that you have access to your device and are able to unlock it. Together, this means that passkeys protect you against phishing and any accidental mishandling that passwords are prone to, such as being reused or exposed in a data breach.“
How to Set Up a Passkey for Your Google Account
If you’d like to set up a passkey to log into your Google accounts, go to g.co/passkeys on your computer, phone, or tablet. (Note that you should not set up passkeys on public or shared devices.)
Click or tap the Create a passkey button:
A pop-up window will appear confirming that you want to set up a passkey for the device you’re using. (You may first need to use your Google password to sign into your account.)
Next, Google will ask you to confirm the account with which you want to use the passkey. After you confirm the Gmail address is correct, click or tap the Continue button.
You should then see a window confirming that you have successfully set up a passkey for that device.
Tap Done to begin using a passkey on that device with your Google account.
Using a Google Passkey
After you’ve set up a Google passkey on a device and want to log into your Google account on that device, you’ll see a pop-up window from Google asking if you’d like to use your passkey to log into your account:
Click or tap Continue to use your passkey to log into your account.
Check out => How to Use 2-Step Verification for an Extra Layer of Password Protection
Availability
According to Google, passkeys are now available worldwide for users to sign into Google accounts. The exception is that passkeys are not available for Google Workspace accounts, but Google plans to launch passkeys for those accounts soon.
What Else You Should Know About Using Google Passkeys
Google passkeys are specific for each device you set up. If you use a different device to access your Google account, you can still use your Google password and two-factor verification.
You can remove a passkey if your device is lost or stolen, or if you decide not to use a passkey with. a device for any other reason.
Google’s instructions for removing a passkey from a device:
- Go to your Google Account.
- You may need to sign in.
- Select Security.
- Under “Signing in to Google,” tap Passkeys.
- Select the passkey you want to remove.
- Tap the
icon.
Your Thoughts
Do you like the idea of using passkeys instead of passwords to log into your Google account? Have you set up a passkey for your Google account? Do you wish more of your accounts offered passkeys?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
This sounds great. I always forget passwords! But then doing this I’d forget the original ones so it would be a pain to change devices!
Hi Corinne, Excellent point. When you change devices (by getting a new phone, for example) you would have to set up a new passkey. Google passkeys will make logging in easier on your devices, but may be more challenging when switching devices.
If Google truly wants to eliminate passwords, it will need to address this issue.