The Future of Passkeys with Keeper Security

Updated June 10, 2024.

With the ever-changing cybersecurity climate, organizations are continuing to implement new security solutions to stop cybercriminals from accessing their environments. 

As of June 2024, Keeper currently allows users to manage their passkeys within the Keeper Vault, through our browser extension and on mobile with our iOS and Android apps, which autofill passkeys, much like how your password-based credentials work today.

Read on to find out what you need to know about passkeys and how Keeper supports them in 2024.

Did You Forget Your Password…Again? 

Wouldn’t it be great if you never had to deal with passwords… ever again? Well, we’ve got great news for you! Meet the passkey, a brand-new passwordless technology built on industry standards by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the FIDO Alliance and backed by Apple, Google, Microsoft, Paypal, eBay and more.

Most recently, Android version 14 has announced an alpha version of Credential Manager – a new Jetpack API that allows you to simplify your users’ authentication – while increasing security – with passkeys. A proper passkey implementation is safer from cybercriminals than passwords.

Sounds Great! But What’s a Passkey?

In its simplest form, a passkey is a cryptographic key that lets you log into accounts and apps without having to enter a password. Think of it as a digital version of a keycard that’s stored on your phone, tablet or computer. A passkey leverages biometrics on your device, such as your fingerprint or face recognition.

Passkeys make it possible for you to log into supported apps and accounts the same way you unlock your phone or tablet with your fingerprint or face.

The Benefits of Passkeys

By design, passkeys are far more secure than passwords. They can’t be compromised in phishing attempts or stolen in data breaches, and because they require the user to have a trusted device, they support Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) by design.

Where Are Passkeys Supported?

Apple, Google and Microsoft have started to incorporate passkey support into their operating systems. These vendors are responsible for syncing the passkeys between the user’s devices, and for recovering passkeys in the case of a lost device. The use of passkeys on a device are limited to the specific operating system version.

Supported Websites

Website and application developers are responsible for building passkey support into their sign-in flows. The main challenge here is that many sites already support a multitude of login options, including passwords and “Sign in with Google/Facebook/Apple/Github/etc…” Websites must find the best way to present this new option to their users.

There are currently a few sites that support passkeys, and typically you need to visit the website’s “security” page to activate a passkey for your device.

Given that households often use a multitude of device types and browsers, syncing passkeys across these environments in a secure, seamless and elegant manner will be difficult, which will likely prolong wide-scale adoption.

Using passkeys between different operating systems, such as a Mac with an Android device, presents significant usability and security challenges. Although there has been progress, we expect a long road ahead to make passkeys more user-friendly, especially for non-technical users and consumers.

To see an ever-growing list of websites with passkey support, please visit our Passkeys Directory.

Bringing Passkeys to Keeper in 2024

Keeper Security is constantly innovating on the newest security options for individuals, families and businesses to safely log into apps without the use of passwords. This includes passkeys, as well as other credential verification methods. We know changes can be difficult, especially when adjusting to your security online. But Keeper is committed to our customers’ security with 100% transparency about the security methods we use.

While passkeys might eliminate passwords for some sites, it’ll be some time before they are ubiquitous. And you still need a secure method to store all of these – from traditional passwords to emerging passkeys. That’s where Keeper Security comes into play. We are gearing up to help you create, store and access all of your passkeys directly from your Keeper Web Vault, desktop app and browser extensions, in addition to the passwords, information, photos and files you already store in your vault. The Keeper browser extension will automatically update if you already have it installed. Users can use the preview release right now by following this user guide.

Storing passkeys in your Keeper Vault gives you access to your passkeys, no matter where you’re logging in from, allowing you to use them across different browsers and operating systems. Support for our desktop app is coming soon. Passkeys are available on Android 14+ and iOS 17+.

Passkeys only work on websites and platforms that support them. View our Passkeys Directory to see a complete list.

Here’s how it will work:

Passkeys aren’t supported by all sites or platforms yet, so everyone will still be using both passwords and passkeys for a long time to come. Keeper is excited about the passwordless future, and as everyone transitions to this new technology, we’ll make sure to keep our customers up-to-date regarding where you can start using passkeys, how to set them up, and of course how Keeper can help you manage your passkeys, passwords and other sensitive data.

Learn more about passwordless authentication.

Have a question or a suggestion? Let us know by dropping us a line at feedback@keepersecurity.com.