Google is rolling out a very handy update to the Google Password Manager that lets users sync their passkeys across a bunch of devices. Previously, you could only store your passkey in the Google Password Manager on Android, limiting its utility across devices. You could use your passkey on other devices, but it required scanning a QR code.
The update enables Google Password Manager to save passkeys on Windows, macOS, Linux, and of course Android. ChromeOS is currently in beta testing, so the feature should be available soon. Google also says iOS support is “coming soon.”
Once saved, your passkey will automatically sync across your other devices using Google Password Manager, and the company says this data is end-to-end encrypted, making it pretty hard for someone to break in and steal your credentials.
For the uninitiated, a passkey is slightly different from a password: It’s a digital credential that lets users sign in to their accounts without using a password. The company has been using passkeys across its software suite since last year.
Today’s update adds another layer of security to Google Password Manager’s Passkey. The company is introducing a six-digit PIN that’s required when you use Passkey on a new device. This will likely prevent bad actors from logging into your account even if they somehow get hold of your digital credentials. But don’t leave your PIN number written on a piece of paper right next to your computer.
Google’s Passkey is already available in the company’s productivity software, of course, but also for Amazon, PayPal and WhatsApp, and the Google Password Manager is built into Chrome and Android devices.
