Many iPhone users have seen prompts to use a passkey to sign in instead of a password. In this blog post you will learn how to use Apple Passkeys.
What are Apple Passkeys?
Passkeys are a secure and easy to use replacement for passwords. They are supported by the Biometric ID functions the latest versions of iOS provide.
This means that instead of signing into apps or websites with a password, you can use either Touch or Face ID.
This biometric data is saved in the same place as saved passwords.
How to use them
When a passkey is available for use, Apple will prompt asking if the user would prefer to use the passkey option or their password.
Select yes to the passkey option and complete the Biometric ID prompt attached to it (Face ID or Touch ID).
If you are not prompted to set up a passkey, you can check the account management section in the website or application. Not all sites use passkeys yet.
Passkeys will also appear in the login information boxes as either the Touch ID icon or the Face ID icon.
If the app or website does not automatically ask for biometric options, you might be able to press buttons for FaceID or Fingerprint to trigger it.
Going a step further, you can even log into websites on non Apple Devices with your saved passkeys. You need access to one of your Apple devices in order for this to work. Your ID is authenticated on the Apple device.
Passkeys also work alongside autofill and passwords, integrating into the iCloud keychain in a similar way. This allows for seamless use that does not differ much from how the keychain functions.
Currently many, but not all, websites support the use of passkeys.
Added Security Features
Passkeys are based on FIDO Alliance and W3C standards, and use Cryptographic key pairs.
The standards are not something you need to know about. What’s important to know is they are very strong, never guessable, or reused.
They are stored safely from server leaks and phishing, and they are encrypted in the iCloud keychain.
Guides & Resources
For a better understanding of passkeys directly from Apple, check out their support page.
For slightly more technical information about passkeys, check out the Apple developer page.
If you have questions how to use Apple passkeys, or our services in general, just call or email. We’re happy to assist you! Feel free to use our contact form to send us a message. Thank you!