Apple to Shift to Password-less Logins, Replaces With Passkeys

Apple is planning to completely remove the password mechanism in iPhones. The news comes from the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2022 event held for four days from June 6, 2022, to June 10, 2022. Throughout the event, Apple launched several new devices, and between the segments, it shed light on using password-less logins, AKA Passkeys starting from September 2022.

With vulnerabilities in passwords — across Windows, iOS, and Android devices — Apple has taken the initiative to completely kill password logins on the latest iPhones, iPad, Macs, and Apple TVs. Instead of using obsolete passwords, Apple users will be able to use “Passkeys” to log in to their favorite websites and apps on iOS 16, macOS Ventura, and iPadOS 16.

Why is Apple shifting to a no-password system?

At the very basic, non-technical level, passwords aren’t very effective. Due to the modern-day hacking and spying software, smartphone users are prone to hashing, dictionary attacks, and other brute-force attacks.

Secondly, many people continue to use common passwords that have already been compromised, like “1234”, “123456789,” and “qwerty.” Moreover, moving beyond passwords will further strengthen the iOS ecosystem by eliminating the need to remember, keep, and type your passwords again and again.

But the questions arise about how Passkeys will replace passwords and how to use Apple Passkeys in the first place. Thankfully, there is an answer for that.

What is Passkeys?

Though it sounds like passwords, Passkeys are a completely different thing. For starters, it has to do something with Face ID and Touch ID, the two most popular ways to log in to iOS and Android devices.

It is a unique set of numbers that works digitally and is more secure than conventional passwords. Passkeys’ major USP is that they are never kept on a web server, making them impossible for hackers to steal or trick users into sharing them.

With  FIDO Alliance, Google, Microsoft, and Apple are also developing a password-free experience for smartphone users. Apple is launching Passkeys as part of its strategy, and they will soon be available with iOS 16, macOS Ventura, and iPadOS 16.

Tom’s Guide explains that Passkeys will be able to protect everything we do on the internet. Passkeys will use Touch ID or Face ID for biometric verification instead of passwords as the primary method of accessing apps and websites, thus, lowering the risk of remote hacking and data leaking.

With Passkeys, devices under the iOS systems will be synced with end-to-end encryption. Thus, eliminating any chances of third parties accessing data between two or more iOS devices.

Another advantage of using Passkeys over passwords is its ability to make phishing more difficult. As the login details are not being stored on any server, the possibility of hackers stealing the Passkeys is close to zero.

How will Passkeys make a safer environment for every device?

Since there are many OSs and device-type alongside Apple, like Windows, Linux, and Android, Passkeys will be able to provide a seamless experience for all of them. Let’s say, for example, you’re using an Android TV, and to sign in to any TV app, you would be required to enter the password.

Since entering passwords will become obsolete soon, the TV can generate a QR code that your iOS device can use instead. And by simply scanning the authorization code, your iOS device will use Face ID or Touch ID to confirm the authenticity of the login.

Conclusion

Though as convenient as it seems, Passkeys have their own weaknesses. For example, Apple will soon release the Passkeys update to only iOS 16, macOS Ventura, and iPadOS 16. Users who are on the previous versions of the iOS and macOS will have to wait for the update for a few more months. Additionally, people with broken Touch IDs and faulty Face ID systems will be left out of the update. As we can see from the current login methods for websites and apps, not every application on App Store and websites on the internet are fully compatible with Passkeys.