Handy: Apple IDs can now use passkeys
If you’re part of the iOS 17 or macOS Sonoma beta test, you’re in luck: you can use passkeys. The word is a combination of password and keys and that means: access. Easy access. Passkeys are now being implemented by more and more major brands and they are also included in the upgrades of the operating systems of iPhone and MacBooks. Here’s what it means and what you can expect from it within the Apple ecosystem.
New login method
Passwords have long been a thorn in the side of security experts. No matter how many times they say that you should have a different and very complex password for every account you create, there are still a lot of passwords that go wrong. How nice it would be if we didn’t have to come up with complex passwords anymore, and if we could easily access them without having to type anything.
Several large tech companies have therefore considered this in recent years and passkeys have emerged from this. The idea is that your device itself is the access. After all, you use a password or your biometric data such as a fingerprint or a face scan on your smartphone to gain access. With those ‘login details’ you will soon be able to access all kinds of apps, that is the idea behind passkeys.
Passkeys on your Apple device
You can now also use them within Apple, provided you are a beta tester of the upcoming iPhone upgrade and MacBook upgrade. That way you can now use your device wherever you log in with your AppleID, instead of that password that you may keep forgetting (and perhaps even storing it insecurely, such as on a sticky note on your laptop). A passkey consists of two keys that are generated: one is on the website you want to log in to, one on the device you are using. Combined together, they then provide access, but you don’t have to do anything yourself, it all takes place behind the scenes.
Passkeys are stored on your device, but they can work on multiple devices. It is therefore smart to have passkeys on different devices. If your iPhone breaks or is stolen, you can at least count on your ‘backup’ device. That is wise, because some services also say goodbye to passwords completely with the passkeys. Others do not, in order to still give users the opportunity to access their account. However, the latter is of course not preferred: after all, this way you maintain the less secure option.
More and more companies
Once you have set the passkeys, you will notice that many websites give you the option to ‘continue with Apple’ or to log in with your iPhone. Passkeys are going to take over the world, so you better get on board now. Soon they will also be available outside Apple for your Apple ID, but that is yet to come. However, you can also use passkeys for your accounts there at 1Password and Google, among others. And that is happening fast: more and more companies are getting on the passkey train. Now the users.
Laura Jenny
When she’s not tapping, she’s traveling around the wonderful world of entertainment or some cool place in the real world. Mario is the man of her life,…
