A passkey is a way to sign in to an app or website without typing a password. Your phone or computer confirms it is you with the same face scan, fingerprint or PIN you already use to open the device. Google, Apple and Microsoft all support passkeys, and a growing number of websites and apps offer them.
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This guide explains what a passkey is in plain terms, then walks through setting one up for the three accounts most people rely on.
What Is a Passkey?
A passkey is a digital key that your device creates for one specific account. It comes in two halves. The website keeps the public half, and the private half stays on your device, locked behind your screen lock.
When you sign in, the site sends a challenge. Your device answers it with the private half after you look at the camera, touch the fingerprint sensor or type your device PIN. The site checks the answer against the public half and lets you in. You never type or see a secret.
Passkeys are built on open standards from the FIDO Alliance, an industry group, which is why the same passkey idea works across Android, iPhone, Windows and Mac.
Your face or fingerprint is not sent anywhere
The face scan or fingerprint only unlocks the passkey on your own device. Google and Microsoft both state on their help pages that your biometric data stays on the device and is not shared with them.
Why Passkeys Are Safer Than Passwords
Passkeys are harder to steal than passwords because there is nothing for you to give away. A fake login page can trick you into typing a password, but it can’t trick you into typing a passkey, because a passkey only works on the real site it was made for.
There are a few other practical gains:
- Each passkey is unique, so a data breach at one site doesn’t expose your other accounts.
- You don’t have to remember anything, and there is nothing to write down.
- Signing in is often faster: one glance or one touch.
Google’s help pages describe passkeys as resistant to phishing for exactly this reason: they “can’t be shared, copied, written down, or accidentally given to someone else.”
What You Need Before You Start
You need a reasonably recent device with a screen lock turned on. Google lists these minimums for passkeys on a Google Account:
| Device type | Minimum version |
|---|---|
| — | — |
| Android phone | Android 9 or later |
| iPhone | iOS 16 or later |
| Windows computer | Windows 10 or later |
| Mac | macOS Ventura or later |
| Chromebook | ChromeOS 109 or later |
Apple devices also need iCloud Keychain and two-factor authentication turned on for your Apple Account. If you want to use your phone to sign in on a nearby computer, Bluetooth has to be on as well.
How to Set Up a Passkey for Your Google Account
The quickest route is the passkeys page in your Google Account settings. Menu names can shift a little between versions, but the steps look like this:
- Sign in to your Google Account on the phone or computer you want to use.
- Open the Security (or Security and sign-in) section, then find Passkeys and security keys.
- Choose Create a passkey and confirm.
- Approve it with your fingerprint, face or screen lock.
Google also notes that Android phones signed in to your account may register a passkey for you automatically. It advises creating passkeys only on devices you personally own, because anyone who can open the device can then get into the account.
How to Use Passkeys on iPhone and Mac
On Apple devices, passkeys are saved in the Passwords app and sync through iCloud Keychain to your other Apple devices signed in to the same Apple Account. Apple says the keychain is end-to-end encrypted.
To create one on an iPhone, Apple’s steps are:
- Go to the sign-in screen of a website or app that supports passkeys.
- For a new account, follow the sign-up steps. For an existing one, sign in with your password and open the account settings.
- When you see the option to save a passkey, tap Continue.
- Confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
If no passkey option appears, that site doesn’t support passkeys yet. You can keep a password and a passkey for the same account, and both appear under that account in the Passwords app.
How to Set Up a Passkey With Windows Hello
On a Windows PC, passkeys are confirmed with Windows Hello, which is the face, fingerprint or PIN sign-in for your computer. When a website offers to create a passkey, accept the prompt and confirm with Windows Hello.
For a personal Microsoft account, open the account’s security settings, choose to add a new way to sign in, pick the face, fingerprint, PIN or security key option and follow the prompts. Microsoft lists Windows 10 and newer as supported, with the latest passkey features on Windows 11.
To see or delete passkeys stored on the PC itself, go to Settings, then Accounts, then Passkeys. Work and school computers may have this option switched off by the IT team.
Signing In on a Computer That Isn’t Yours
You can use the passkey on your phone to sign in on another computer, such as a library PC. On the sign-in page, choose an option like “Other options” or “Passkey from nearby device.” A QR code appears. Scan it with your phone’s camera and confirm on the phone.
The phone and computer check that they are physically close using Bluetooth, which stops someone far away from using the code. The passkey itself stays on your phone and is never copied to the other computer.
Keep your password and recovery details for now. Most sites still let you sign in the old way, and a recovery email or phone number is what gets you back in if a device goes missing.
What Happens If You Lose Your Phone?
Losing a phone doesn’t mean losing your passkeys if they were synced. Passkeys saved in Google Password Manager or iCloud Keychain come back when you sign in to your account on a new device.
Google’s advice is to sign in to your account on a device you still have and remove the passkey linked to the lost one. On Apple devices, iCloud Keychain recovery is protected by your account password, a code sent by text and a device passcode, with a limit on attempts.
FAQ
Can I still use my password after creating a passkey?
Yes, in most cases. Creating a passkey usually adds a sign-in option rather than replacing your password, so the password keeps working unless you choose to remove it where the site allows.
Do all websites support passkeys?
No. Support is growing, but plenty of sites still use passwords only. If a site’s security settings show no passkey option, it doesn’t offer them yet.
Can I use a password manager instead of Google or Apple?
Yes. Third-party password managers such as 1Password and Dashlane can store passkeys too, which helps if you switch between Android, iPhone and Windows.