Google Workspace Introduces Passkeys: A Simpler, Safer Alternative to Passwords

Google Workspace has taken a step towards making our online experiences both more secure and more convenient with the introduction of passkeys. This new feature has been available with consumer Google accounts for a couple of months, but is now being rolled out to Google Workspace accounts.

What are passkeys?

They're a passwordless sign-in method designed to provide a more convenient and secure authentication experience across websites and apps. Users can now sign in to their Google Workspace apps, such as Gmail or Google Drive, with a passkey using their fingerprint, face recognition, or other screen-lock mechanism. Importantly, this feature respects user privacy – no biometric data is ever sent to Google's servers or other websites and apps.

Why should we care about this change?

Well, Google's early data from March and April 2023 shows that passkeys are twice as fast and four times less error-prone than traditional passwords. Plus, they're available across all popular browsers and operating systems, including Android, ChromeOS, iOS, macOS, and Windows.

Not only are passkeys more convenient, but they're also more secure. They're based on the same public key cryptographic protocols that underpin physical security keys, like the Titan Security Key. As a result, they can be resistant to phishing and other online attacks – more so than SMS, app-based one-time passwords, and other forms of traditional two-factor authentication (2FA).

So, how can you get started with passkeys?

If you're a Workspace admin, you can enable users in your organization to skip passwords at sign-in using a passkey. This setting is off by default, but you can easily change it in the Admin console under Security > Passwordless. If you're an end user and your admin has enabled passkeys, visit g.co/passkeys to start using them in place of passwords or as a 2SV method.

The rollout of this feature began gradually on June 5, 2023, and is available to all Google Workspace and Cloud Identity customers. It may take up to 15 days to see the feature in your environment.

With passkeys, Google Workspace is taking us one step closer to a passwordless future, promising a safer and more user-friendly authentication experience.