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Google’s passkey syncing makes it easier to move on from passwords

The Google Chrome logo surrounded by blue rings
Chrome users will need to either unlock their Android screen or use the Password Manager PIN feature to use passkeys on new devices. | Illustration: The Verge

Google is improving passkey support in Chrome by making it easier to use the passwordless sign-in credentials across different devices. The search giant is introducing a Google Password Manager PIN that allows users to securely save and synchronize passkeys for use across Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android devices. These updates are available in beta on ChromeOS as well, with iOS support “coming soon.”

Passkeys needed to be saved to Google Password Manager on Android prior to this update and required users to scan a QR code on their Android device to access them on other platforms. The new PIN replaces the need to scan the QR code while ensuring that your saved passkeys remain protected by end-to-end encryption, so not even Google can access them. Users will need to either unlock their Android screen or use their Password Manager PIN to use passkeys on a new device.

A GIF demonstrating how Chrome users can save and sync passkeys using Google’s Password Manager.
Image: Google
Users can set up a six-digit PIN by default or create a longer alphanumeric PIN under the “PIN options” settings.