Passkeys are a more secure and easy to use alternative to passwords. They are becoming increasingly available for tech services and websites, including Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft and more. Some of them are now prompting users to change to passkeys.
Passkey is a secret code created by your computer, with parts of the code stored on both your computer and the website. Your code is unique to that website; every time you set up a new Passkey for another new site, a new, unique code is created and then saved to your computer.
When you save your code, you often have the option of saving it to your operating system, password manager, or browser. Once saved, the next time you visit that website, instead of logging in with a login and password, you will most likely be asked to unlock the secret code using something called biometrics. Biometrics are when you use yourself to authenticate, such as your fingerprint or facial recognition. No more passwords to remember or type, no more unique codes texted to you or generated on your phone, just use your finger or face. Users can also access passkeys with a PIN number that is used only on their local device.
For more information, see below.
