Apple’s new passkeys
Can they really take the place of passwords? We take a look
HOW IT WORKS
YOU WILL LEARN
What passkeys are, how they work and how to use them
“WE’VE HELPED TO CREATE A NEXT–GEN CREDENTIAL THAT’S MORE SECURE AND EASIER TO USE”
Darin Adler, Apple’s Vice President of Internet Technologies
KEY FACT
According to Microsoft’s Vasu Jakkal, there are over 921 password attacks every second.
WHAT A TURNAROUND. It was only with macOS 12 (Monterey), iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 that Apple added a dedicated Passwords pane to the Mac’s System Preferences and the mobile device’s Settings… But with macOS Ventura, iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, the company is trying to make passwords redundant. Passkeys uses powerful cryptographic techniques and the biometrics built into your device to allow you to log in to a website, make an online purchase, and anything else that requires a login ID and a password, without needing to type anything at all. Instead, you simply use your Face ID or Touch ID to verify your credentials. You can even create a new account from scratch by using a passkey.