The company begins rolling out support for passkeys on all major platforms.

If you are not a fan of passwords, which require an effort to generate and remember complex combinations of letters, numbers and special signs, there’s some good news from Google.

The tech giant announced on 3 May 2023 the “beginning of the end of the password” in what seems to be a joint decision with other players in the area to provide a “passwordless future.”

“For some time, we and others in the industry have been working on a simpler and safer alternative to passwords. While passwords will be with us for some time to come, they are often frustrating to remember and put you at risk if they end up in the wrong hands,” Google said in a statement on its blog. 

Described as “the easiest and most secure way to sign in to apps and websites,” Google — alongside FIDO Alliance, Apple and Microsoft — will begin work to support passkeys on its Google Accounts platforms as an additional option.

The passwords, 2-step verification and other forms of sign-in will remain intact, at least for a year.

Passkeys are believed to be easier to use and more secure than passwords or one-time SMS codes. They let users sign in the same way they unlock their devices – with a fingerprint, a face scan, or a screen lock PIN. Unlike passwords, passkeys are resistant to online attacks like phishing, Google specified.

During the past year, Google shared updates on bringing passkey experiences to both Chrome and Android, which services like Docusign, Kayak, PayPal, and Shopify already prompting users to try a passkey log-in.

Kayak, PayPal, Shopify and Yahoo! Japan have already deployed to streamline sign-in for their users. Starting today, this will be available as an option for Google Account users who want to try a passwordless sign-in experience.

Passkeys for Google Accounts can be configured and tried at g.co/passkeys. For Google Workspace accounts, administrators will soon have the option to enable passkeys for their end-users during sign-in.