Previously, passkey support was limited to Android, where users could set up a PIN code or screen lock pattern to log in. Now, the feature expands to Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android, with ChromeOS in beta. Users can set a PIN, use a screen lock, or both for secure logins across devices.
Passkeys, accessible via Google Password Manager, are end-to-end encrypted and cannot be accessed by Google. When adding a Google account to a new device, users must enter their PIN or screen lock for authentication. Passkeys, developed by the FIDO Alliance and supported by companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, offer a more secure alternative to traditional methods like SMS codes by using public key cryptography.