Apple's Passkey function promises a password-free future!

Apple Apple announced a new feature called Passkeys, which aims to replace passwords for logging into accounts. Passkeys will debut this fall on iOS 16, macOS Ventura, and other Apple 2022 updates.

During its WWDC 2022 keynote on Monday, Apple said its users were spending too much time entering passwords and were "not keeping up with the times." Now the company is offering a solution: Passkeys.

How Security Keys Work in iOS

“For users, signing in with a Passkey will work much the same way as signing in with iCloud Keychain and Face ID or Touch ID,” Apple said in a statement. “You simply choose a credential, authenticate with biometrics, and that’s it.”

However, while iCloud Keychain automatically fills in your username and password in regular text fields, a Passkey goes far beyond that: The system generates a unique key that can only be accessed with user authentication via Face ID or Touch ID. This prevents malicious websites from trying to steal your passwords since Passkeys are securely stored in iCloud Keychain and are not visible to the user.

Sure, passkeys are automatically synced with your Apple devices, but what about other platforms?

Since access keys are based on the FIDO standard, which is also implemented on Android and Windows, there is a way to log in to a device that is not yours.

The other device generates a QR code that can be read by your iPhone or your iPad. iOS uses Face ID or Touch ID to confirm that it is you trying to log in before confirming or denying the request to the app or website running on the other device. And when it's an iOS device or a Mac that isn't yours, access keys can be shared via AirDrop.

A future without passwords

The announcement of Passkey isn't just a shiny new feature for Apple users. Rather, it's a harbinger of things to come. We're heading towards a passwordless future—and Apple devices will be among the first to get a taste of it.

Last May, Apple partnered with Google and Microsoft to expand support for passwordless authentication systems across their various platforms. Typically rivals, the three companies have committed to supporting the FIDO consortium's new standards on mobile, desktop, and browser platforms over the next year.

Although we are still in the early days of this transition, there are already signs that this new era has begun. For example, hotels are starting to offer their guests access through their phones rather than physical cards or keys; banks are allowing customers to log into their accounts with a simple fingerprint scan; and even airports like San Francisco International Airport have begun using facial recognition technology as an alternative form of identification when checking in at airport security checkpoints (instead of using passports).

It is unclear what will happen to passwords when Apple transitions to another platform like Android, as Apple has not detailed what would happen in that situation.

Apple says the transition away from passwords will take some time, but it will work with developers to create a password-free future.

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