How to use a passkey instead of a password to sign in to your Google account

Passwords have always been a necessary evil, letting you choose between using a password that’s too simple (so you can easily remember it) or one that’s obscure enough to be secure but complex enough to require a password manager.

Until now, the best way to keep your accounts secure was to share a password with two-factor authentication (2FA). But now, Google offers another option: use a passkey—secure credentials tied to the PIN or biometric authentication your device is already using. The passkey is only on your device, not in the cloud, which makes it even more secure.

Want to try it? Here’s how.

Currently, you can create a passkey on Any compatible device, including Windows 10, macOS Ventura (or later) laptops/desktops running Chrome 109, Safari 16, Edge 109 or later. If you are setting up a passkey on a mobile phone or tablet, it must be running iOS 16 or Android 9 (or later). You can also use it with any hardware security switch that supports the FIDO2 protocol.

You’ll also need to enable a screen lock, and if you want to use your phone to log into another device, like a laptop, you’ll also need to have Bluetooth turned on.

Finally, if you have a Google Workspace account through a school or employer, you won’t be able to set up a passkey for that account. (However, you can use it for any personal Google account.)

You can remove a device from your list of passkeys – if the passkey is the one you created.

If the passkey was automatically generated by Google, you can’t delete it — instead, you have to sign that device out of the account.

Yes. If you wish, you can go back to using passwords and 2FA as before. (Note: Passkeys will still be part of the account; they will not be used.)