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In this article we will show you How to Use Google Passkey on Android. After saying in October that passkey support was coming to Android, Google’s latest browser, Chrome Stable M108, now has the new feature. This is part of the search giant’s ongoing efforts to move away from passwords and toward security that doesn’t require a password. But Google isn’t the only company doing this. Both Microsoft and Apple have also added support for passkeys to their running systems.
Don’t get us wrong, though: The tried-and-true password is fine, especially if you use it with two-factor security. But especially for something as important as your Google account, you want the best protection you can get to keep your personal and/or business information safe. Passwords have always been a necessary evil. You can use a password that is too easy (so you can remember it) or a password that is hard to remember but secure enough to need a password manager.
How to Use Google Passkey on Android
- Tap Use passkeys.
- In the Create a passkey for your Google account screen, select Continue (or choose Use another device to set up a passkey on another device).
- Read the You can now use your passkeys to sign in prompt and tap Done.
Sign into your Google account on a different computer or phone. For this task, we used our Windows PC to log in to our Google account. Keep in mind that you only have to do this the first time you use a passkey to sign in to your Google account. If you want to know more information about this visit official Android support site.
- Under Use your passkey to confirm it’s really you, select Continue.
- Choose Use a phone or tablet to display a QR code.
- Open the Camera app on your Android device.
- Point the camera at the QR code on the screen of the device you want to connect to.
- Tap Use Passkey.
- Tap Allow, then Allow again.
- Use your device’s biometric data (such as your fingerprint) to sign in to your Google account on another device.
- Tap Continue if you also want to create a passkey for that particular device.
Tips for Using Google Passkeys
- Keep your phone secure – Since your phone is used as your Passkey, it is important to keep it secure. Use a strong screen lock, such as a PIN or pattern, and enable two-factor authentication on your Google account for added security.
- Use a backup method – In case you lose access to your phone, or it is stolen, it is important to have a backup method of signing in to your Google account. Ensure to enable a backup method, such as a recovery email or phone number.
- Update your phone software regularly – Make sure to update your phone software regularly to ensure your Passkey remains secure and up-to-date.
How Passkeys Work
Google says that a passkey “identifies a particular user account on some online service.” At the heart of it is a private secret key that is kept on the devices you use. This is then compared to a public key that the digital service you’re signing into has, which verifies your name. You’ll need to open your phone or computer to make sure it’s really you. On a phone, this usually means entering a PIN code or letting your face or fingerprints be scanned.
On computers, you can still use passwords to prove who you are, but the industry is going more and more toward biometric authentication. You don’t see or need to know what the passkey is; you just have to be you. Your face or fingerprint can now be used instead of a long list of passwords written on a Post-it note. This is much easier and more handy. These passkeys use public-key cryptography, which means that if they are part of a data breach, bad guys can’t use them without your face or fingerprint.
In the same way, if your laptop or phone gets stolen, no one can get into your accounts because you won’t be there to provide the required authentication. This is not only a Google project. A world without passwords is also being worked on by groups like the FIDO Alliance and the W3C Web Authentication group. This means that you’ll be able to use these systems on any device, whether it was made by Google, Apple, Microsoft, or any other company.