Apple Security

Will Passkeys Make Your Apple Device More Secure?

Good security is more convenient, but robust device authentication is a must-do

Image created by author suing ChatGPT

Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google made a fuss about passkeys, but I put understanding passkeys at the bottom of my to-do list. Two-factor authentication lets me sleep peacefully.

Then I logged on to eBay, and it suggested passkeys. I hesitated… and then I said, okay. Could this be the first step towards the end for passwords?

I’ll shed no tears over their demise, but I have questions:

• What are passkeys?
• Why are they great?
• How do they work?
• What are the drawbacks?

Did I do the right thing? Let’s find out.

What’s the difference between a password and a passkey?

A username and password authenticate a person, but a passkey authenticates a device. That device is responsible for confirming your identity, maybe through Face ID or fingerprint ID or a PIN. As long as your device authenticates you, you’re logged on to a service. Nice and simple.

How do passkeys work?