Google makes passkeys default for all users

Google has confirmed that passkeys will become the default sign-in method for all users.

Google has announced that passkeys will be the default sign-in method for all users.

The tech giant is prompting users to create a passkey for their account by default so they no longer have to manually search for the setup process in their account settings.

Passkeys enable users to log in to apps and websites with a biometric sensor (such as facial recognition or a fingerprint) that frees them from the need to memorise a password.

Christiaan Brand and Siriam Karra, product managers at Google, explained that passkeys will now be the default option across personal Google Accounts.

The pair said: “We’ve received really positive feedback from our users, so today we’re making passkeys even more accessible by offering them as the default option across personal Google Accounts.

“This means that the next time you sign in to your account, you’ll start seeing prompts to create and use passkeys, simplifying your future sign-ins. It also means you’ll see the ‘skip password when possible’ option toggled on in your Google Account settings.”

Google said that since the introduction of passkeys for accounts, 64 per cent of users have found them easier to use than traditional methods such as passwords and two-step verification.

However, passwords are not going to vanish completely and Google says they “will still remain part of our lives as we make the pivot”.

Users will still have the option to use traditional passwords and can also choose to disable the “skip password when possible” option if they do wish to use passkeys.