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To use a passkey, create one in a supported account’s security or sign-in settings, approve it with your device’s PIN, fingerprint, or face recognition, then select it the next time you sign in. The passkey is stored by a credential manager or on a device or security key; you do not make up or memorize it like a password.
What a passkey is—and why it can replace typing a password
A passkey is a cryptographic credential created for a particular service. It uses a public-private key pair: the service stores the public key, while the private key stays with your authenticator. When you sign in, your device uses that private key after you verify locally, often with a screen lock, PIN, fingerprint, or face authentication. The private key is not sent to the service.
That service-specific relationship is why passkeys are designed to resist phishing: a passkey created for one site cannot simply be used to sign in to a lookalike site. Apple Support explains the public/private key arrangement and the absence of a shared secret sent to the service in its passkey security overview. FIDO Alliance guidance describes the local device unlock as the user-verification step, not as a password sent to the website.
Creating a passkey does not necessarily remove every password from an account. A service may keep passwords or other recovery routes, and an employer or school can limit which sign-in methods are allowed.
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How to create and use a passkey
- Open the account’s sign-in or security settings. Sign in to the service that supports passkeys, or begin its passkey sign-in flow if it offers one.
- Choose the passkey option. Look for wording such as “Create a passkey” or “Save a passkey.” The exact label and location vary by service.
- Choose where to save it, if prompted. Options may include a synced credential manager, the device you are using, Windows Hello, a phone or tablet paired by QR code, or a FIDO2 security key.
- Approve the prompt on your authenticator. Use the device’s screen lock, PIN, fingerprint, or face authentication. For a phone-to-computer flow, follow the QR-code instructions; Bluetooth may need to be on.
- Check that it was saved. Confirm the passkey appears in the chosen credential manager or the service’s account security settings.
On the next sign-in, choose the passkey option and complete the local verification prompt. Follow the service’s on-screen instructions: the steps differ by account, browser, device, and operating system.
Platform requirements to check
Google’s current Account Help page lists minimums including Windows 10, macOS Ventura, ChromeOS 109 or newer, Android 9, and iOS 16; named browser minimums include Chrome 109, Safari 16, Edge 109, and Firefox 122. Requirements can change, so check Google’s live passkey instructions and update the browser and operating system before troubleshooting. Google’s phone-to-computer flow uses Bluetooth and QR-code pairing.
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Microsoft lists credential managers, phones or tablets, security keys, and Windows Hello as possible save locations in its passkey creation instructions. For work or school accounts, whether passkeys are available depends on organizational support and policy.
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Where should you save a passkey?
The main choice is between a passkey that syncs through a credential provider and one bound to a particular authenticator. Neither is universally best: consider whether you need access on multiple devices, what recovery options you have, and whether your account or organization requires a device-bound credential.
| Storage choice | Access across devices | Recovery and trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Synced credential manager | Can make the passkey available on other supported devices using the same provider ecosystem. | May simplify access after losing a device, but recovery and portability depend on the provider’s account recovery, management, and export controls. |
| Device-bound authenticator | Generally tied to one authenticator, such as a platform authenticator or physical security key. | Provides a tighter device boundary, but losing or replacing that authenticator can make recovery more dependent on another registered method. |
For everyday use, a credential manager that supports the devices you actually use is often a practical choice. Make sure you know how to recover that manager account. FIDO Alliance deployment guidance says synced passkeys can improve consumer usability and help restore access on another device; organizations with higher-assurance needs may also need to assess the sync service and its management or export controls. See its synced passkey deployment guidance.
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Can you use a passkey on another device?
Often, yes. If the passkey syncs through a credential manager, it may appear on your other supported devices once you use the same provider account. If it is stored only on one device, you may be able to sign in using that device as an authenticator—for example, by scanning a QR code and completing Bluetooth pairing—if the service supports that flow. A physical security key can also be carried between compatible devices.
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Availability depends on the service, operating system, browser, credential provider, and organization policy. A passkey saved in one ecosystem should not be assumed to work everywhere automatically; check the service’s current instructions and the provider’s supported-device details.
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What to do before you lose your phone or computer
- Know where each passkey is saved. Check the credential manager or authenticator and the service’s security settings.
- Set up account recovery first. Keep a recovery route available for the account and for the credential manager that holds synced passkeys.
- Keep an alternate sign-in method where the service permits it. Passkeys do not guarantee that passwords or other recovery methods have been removed.
- Use only your own trusted device to create a passkey. Google warns that anyone who can unlock a device holding the passkey may be able to access the account. Avoid shared or public devices.
- Remove credentials from lost or shared devices. Use the account’s security settings and, where available, the credential manager to remove a passkey you no longer control.
Google says users can continue to sign in with a password after enrolling a passkey and documents how to remove a passkey associated with a lost device in its account passkey help. Recovery differs by provider. For Apple’s implementation, iCloud Keychain uses end-to-end encryption; recovery involves Apple Account authentication, a trusted phone number, and the device passcode. Apple also recommends setting an account recovery contact. These are Apple-specific protections, not universal passkey rules.
When a physical security key makes sense
A FIDO2 hardware security key is an optional authenticator for services that support it. You can choose one if you want a physical, device-bound option or if your organization requires it. Many people can start with a compatible phone or computer they already own, so buying a key is not necessary for passkey use.
Before relying on a hardware key, confirm that the service supports passkeys on security keys and that the key’s connector works with the devices you intend to use. Consider how you will retain account access if the key is lost.
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Windows 11 version 24H2 asks for privacy consent before applications can access passkeys. To review app access later, open Settings > Privacy & security > Passkey access. Microsoft documents this behavior in its Windows passkey support documentation.
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