Google announced today that it is introducing support for passcodes, providing an easier and more secure login method for Google accounts. Apple integrated passkeys into iOS with the release of iOS 16, and it’s also available in iPadOS 16.1 and later, as well as macOS Ventura.
Passcodes are an industry standard developed by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium, so the Google Passcode integration will work on Apple devices as well as other devices that support the feature. As Google points out:
Last year, together with the FIDO Alliance, Apple, and Microsoft, we announced that we would start working to support access keys on our platform as an easier and more secure alternative to passwords. And today, ahead of World Password Day, we’re starting to roll out support for passcodes in Google Accounts across all major platforms. They will be an additional option that people can use to sign in, along with passwords, two-step verification (2SV), etc.
Passkeys are easier to use and more secure than passwords because they allow users to sign in to apps and sites the same way they unlock their devices: with a fingerprint, face scan, or screen lock PIN . Passcodes are also resistant to online attacks like phishing, making them more secure than one-time SMS codes.
To create a passkey, Google users can sign in to their Google account and then choose the “Create a passkey” option. Passcodes on iOS and Mac devices are synced to iCloud Keychain for security, and logins are authenticated with Face ID or Touch ID.
Google says the switch to passcodes will take time, so traditional passwords and two-step verification will still work for Google accounts.
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