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Registering and Using a Passkey

Users manage their own passkeys from the Passkeys card on their account page.

Creating one

  1. The user chooses to add a passkey and gives it a nickname — "work laptop", "iPhone" — so a list of several makes sense later.
  2. Their browser asks them to confirm with their fingerprint, face, device PIN or password manager.
  3. The passkey is created and stored against their account.

Signing in

On the login page, a user with a passkey can sign in without a password. They confirm with their device and they are in — with exactly the same access a password sign-in gives.

Where passkeys live, and why it matters

  • Built into the device (iCloud Keychain, Google Password Manager, Windows Hello) — usually syncs across the user's own devices, so one registration covers their phone and their laptop.
  • A hardware security key (a YubiKey or similar) — does not sync. Works anywhere it is plugged in, and is gone if the key is lost.
  • A password manager — syncs according to that product's own rules.

Encourage users to register more than one, particularly if they use a hardware key. A single passkey on a single device is a single point of failure.

Advice worth passing on

  • Name them usefully — three entries called "Passkey" help nobody.
  • Remove passkeys for devices you no longer have.
  • Keep the account password current; it is the fallback.