Google has announced today that it will provide free passkey assistance for Android and Chrome. This first phase provides developers access to the technology by using the Google Play Services beta and Chrome Canary, and allows them to add support for this feature to their websites and apps.
The search giant hopes to bring support for the feature to stable channels later this year, where some developers will have already introduced the technology. Passkey is a new industry standard that eliminates the need for people to remember passwords for other services. They are synced in password managers like Google Password Manager and work across devices. Cloud backups help to ensure you always have access to accounts even if your device fails.
The passkey interface is similar to the autofill interface that Chrome mobile users will already be familiar with. It''s as simple as selecting the account you want to enter, and then using your fingerprint, face, or screen lock to gain access. If you want to, the website you want to visit on your computer may include a QR code that you can scan on your phone to approve access.
The next milestone for Google is to provide API assistance to native Android apps. Developers who build support into their apps will give users the option to use their passkey or password to sign in. This will mean less need to create and remember passwords, which may result in less account breaches.
Passkeys are an industry standard that has received input from Apple, Microsoft, and Google as part of the FIDO Alliance and the W3C.