Google is on a mission to render traditional passwords obsolete, opting to encourage users to create passkeys for unlocking accounts and devices using fingerprint scans, face recognition, or PIN numbers.
In a recent announcement, Google emphasized that passkeys offer an easier-to-remember, quicker, and more secure alternative to traditional passwords. While Google introduced support for passkeys in May, they are now being positioned as the primary choice during password creation.
In their blog post, Google stated their commitment to encouraging the tech industry to transition to passkeys, with the ultimate goal of making passwords a rarity and, eventually, obsolete.
Google will continue to provide support for conventional passwords, and users can choose to bypass passkeys by deactivating the “skip password when possible” option in their accounts.
Passkeys have already become alternative password options for various apps, including YouTube, Search, Maps, Uber, and eBay. WhatsApp is also in the process of adding this capability, as mentioned in the blog post.
The FIDO Alliance, a security consortium with numerous tech companies as members, had previously established standards for passkeys. Subsequently, Microsoft, Apple, and Google have been collaborating to make passkeys a practical and widespread solution.
Apple introduced its passkey option with the release of iOS 16, allowing users to employ this technology across various apps, including Apple Wallet. Passkey support was initially introduced on Chrome and Android devices in October 2022.
In summary, Google, alongside other tech giants, is actively promoting passkeys as a secure and user-friendly alternative to traditional passwords, aiming to enhance the overall security and ease of use for online accounts and devices.
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