Google is ditching passwords for passkeys: Here’s how it works

Updated: May 4, 5:27, corrected the 'How passkeys work section' following editorial input. On May 3, 2023, Google released a blog post announcing that users would now be able to log into their Google accounts across all major platforms through passkeys. Passkeys let users sign into apps and websites using their personal identification numbers (PIN), fingerprints, face scans or screen locks. The provision is limited to personal Google accounts for the time being. The blog post mentioned that passwords and two-step verification for Google accounts will continue to work during the transition to passkeys, and the Google Workplace accounts would get the passkey provision soon.  Why it matters: Almost every website we access today urges us to sign up, create an account, and set yet another password that we have to keep track of. With this password fatigue, people typically tend to use passwords that are easy to remember. But in doing so, they leave themselves susceptible to hacks. In the recent past, there have been multiple cases of password breaches, a notable one being the attack on Solar Winds (which, according to a CNN report was because of the password 'solarwinds123'), reveal how weak passwords are vulnerable to phishing schemes. Even when people do everything right and set a strong password, the only thing they tend to accomplish is delaying the hack. In essence, the harder and longer your password is, the more time it would take for the hacker to guess it. You would have to set a…