Passwords have been around for decades as a mode of authentication.Our favorite password managersmake it easy to generate unique secure passwords and remember all the others you may have repeated. However, passwords are inherently vulnerable to phishing attempts. Passkeys simplify the sign-in process greatly and eliminate the security risks, too. Google Password Manager already supports storing passkeys, but a new Play Services update could prompt you to embrace the change and go passwordless.
Passkeysare unique cryptographic key pairs which replace your password — one part of the key is stored on the website you’re signing in to, and the other half is stored on your device, authenticated by secure biometrics like a fingerprint or a facial scan. Since cryptographic key pairs are complex, they are automatically stored in a password manager. Moreover, they are unique by design, so there’s no question of reuse. Since Google Password Manager adopted passkeys, signing in to a service is as convenient and quick as unlocking your phone because the fingerprint conveniently substitutes for two-factor authentication systems like SMS and email-delivered OTPs.
Google’sdata releasedshortly after passkey support went live shows that passwordless sign-ins have the added advantage of reduced failure rates and faster speed. Unsurprisingly, almost every major password manager service has sinceadded supportforstoring passkeys, with a handful of them suggesting you replace your master password with a passkey as well. Now,AssembleDebugon X (formerly Twitter) reveals Google Password Manager now suggests you simplify your sign-ins using passkeys, which in turn use your device’s screen lock method. In a detailed post in theGApps Flags & LeaksTelegram channel, the feature researcher explained the password manager’s new option prompts you to switch to passkeys if the website or app supports the new technology.
However, the change isn’t reaching all Google Password Manager users immediately. It is guarded behind a flag in the latest beta version of Google Mobile Services (v23.41.13). Google hasn’t officially announced this change or told us when it would come, so we can only wait until it shows up in the stable channel. Until then, you can still switch to passkeys manually on every supported platform because Google Password Manager is already primed and ready to store them for you.
