Google Recommends Utilizing Passkeys for Enhanced Login Security
Google is one of the first tech giants to sign in with passkeys, and now it wants millions of its users to start using a new, secure way to sign in instead of passwords. Google offers people the option to use their phone’s PIN, face or fingerprint ID to authenticate and use their account on new devices.
Starting this week, Google is taking matters into its own hands by proposing passwords as the default login method for its users. In fact, Google encourages account holders to start using passwords and secure their accounts with device authentication, and to stop resetting all of your account passwords.
Google says it has received a positive response to passkeys, which is why this decision has been made. “Earlier this year, we introduced support for Access Keys, a simpler and more secure way to sign in to your account online. We’ve gotten really positive feedback from our users, so today we’re making Access Keys even easier to use by offering them as the default option in personal Google Accounts,” Google’s blog post explains.
Google account holders will see pop-ups like this when trying to sign in to their account.
The company continues to emphasize the intention to move to passcodes, which are claimed to be 40 percent faster than passwords and are built with encryption technology, making them extra secure. Google also mentions that Uber and eBay have implemented passwords and WhatsApp will soon be compatible as well.
Make no mistake, passwords aren’t going away, but Google is letting people decide whether they want to use existing authentication standards or join a method that will hopefully become a huge part of the industry in the near future. “Therefore, people are still given the option to use a password to log in and can opt out of access keys by turning off ‘Skip password when possible’,” the post clarifies.
Google hopes to make passwords obsolete, and such measures, with the trust of users, can help the technology flourish for years to come.
