Popular password management service 1Password today confirmed that it will begin supporting passkeys in early 2023, allowing users to sign in to supported websites and apps without a password. Instead, biometric authentication on trusted devices is used to confirm your identity, and removing passwords from the equation means they can not be compromised or phished.
Apple rolled out support for passkeys in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, tvOS 16, and macOS Ventura, using iCloud Keychain to sync across devices for ease of use and redundancy. Apple has been working with members of the FIDO Alliance, including Google and Microsoft, to ensure interoperability of passkeys, and Apple's implementation of passkeys will be able to work with non-Apple devices by using your iPhone to scan a QR code and authenticate.
1Password contends that its implementation of passkeys is superior to single-ecosystem ones like Apple's, as 1Password's passkeys can work anywhere 1Password does rather than having to rely on workarounds like QR-code scanning.
For 1Password users interested in seeing how passkeys work, the company has set up a demo on its website that requires a 1Password account and the latest version of the 1Password extension for Chrome or Edge. Support for Safari and Firefox has yet to be rolled out. 1Password also maintains a directory of websites and apps that have already started supporting passkeys, including Google, Microsoft, Twitter, eBay, Best Buy, GitHub, and more.
1Password says full support for passkeys will be coming to its browser extensions and desktop apps in early 2023, with mobile support to follow later.
