Google Passkeys: The beginning of the end of traditional passwords

Through a post on its official blog, Google announced the distribution of Passkeysdescribed as “an easy and secure way to access your accounts” and “a step towards a password-free future”.

The feature, developed together with cybersecurity experts, would allow users to keep their accesses safe even without necessarily having to remember passwords.

“We and others in the industry have been working on a simpler, more secure alternative to passwords for some time,” Google writes. “While passwords will stick around for a while yet, they’re often frustrating to remember and put the user at risk if they fall into the wrong hands.”

How Google Passkeys will work

Passkeys aim to replace the classic passwords (no more birth dates or pet names) by adopting more secure systems. At the base is the will to replicate what happens on smartphones through biometrics (fingerprint and facial recognition) or the Visual PIN for screen lock.

Google’s announcement comes just on the eve of World Password Day, which is celebrated on May 4th. “Maybe, by World Password Day next year, you won’t need to use your password, let alone remember it!” Google writes in its post.

How to activate Passkeys

Passkeys are available to all Google users today, though they won’t immediately replace other ways to sign in. In fact, traditional passwords and two-factor authentication (2FA) remain in effect. However, Google’s plans are clear, and they are clear from the title of the post: “it’s the beginning of the end for passwords”.

You can activate your Passkeys here.