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Google introduced a new passkey feature for Android devices and Google Chrome. This feature offers users additional security. Users will now soon be able to use this option to verify their identity using a PIN or biometric authentication to log in to any website or app instead of using a password. The tech giant presents a more secure option for users than the traditional two-factor authentication method.
Earlier this May, Apple, Google, and Microsoft announced plans to offer users a common password-free sign-in option. This is called “Passkeys” developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the FIDO Alliance. The search giant is now making it a reality.
However, this feature is currently only available to developers, and Google plans to offer the passkey feature to regular users later this year. The tech giant says it will be possible to create and use passkeys on Android devices without worrying about syncing issues, as they will be backed up to Google Password Manager. The backup to the cloud service is necessary because when a user sets up a new Android device by transferring data from the old device, the existing end-to-end encryption keys would be safely transferred to the new device, according to Google.
Users could easily create a passkey on their Android devices by simply selecting a Google account and then verifying their registered fingerprint or face unlock to complete the process.
- Google says: “The access key is a cryptographic private key. In most cases, this private key lives only on the user’s own devices, such as laptops or mobile phones. When an access key is created, the online service stores only its corresponding public key. During login, the service uses the public key to verify the signature from the private key, which can only come from one of the user’s devices. Additionally, the user is also required to unlock their device or credential store for this to happen, preventing logins from, say, a stolen phone.”
