Android, Chrome users ALERT: This BIG safety feature rolled out - All you need to know

In good news, the US- based technology giant Google has announced to roll out Passkey support to both Android and Chrome for better safety. Passkeys are a significantly safer replacement for passwords and other phishable authentication factors. They cannot be reused, don't leak in server breaches, and protect users from phishing attacks. 

What is passkeys? 

According to Google, Passkeys are built on industry standards and work across different operating systems and browser ecosystems, and can be used for both websites and apps. Passkeys follow already familiar UX patterns, and build on the existing experience of password autofill. 

How to use passkeys?

For end-users, using one is similar to using a saved password today, where they simply confirm with their existing device screen lock such as their fingerprint. Passkeys on users’ phones and computers are backed up and synced through the cloud to prevent lockouts in the case of device loss. Additionally, users can use passkeys stored on their phone to sign in to apps and websites on other nearby devices.

Users can also login into apps and websites on other nearby devices using Passkeys stored on their phones. The key enables two key capabilities -- on Android devices, users can generate and utilise Passkeys that are securely synchronised through the Google Password Manager.

Through the 'WebAuthn API', developers can add Passkey support to their websites for end users utilising Chrome, Android, and other supported platforms.

Developers can use Chrome Canary and sign up for the Google Play Services beta to test this as of right now. Later this year, both features will be generally accessible via stable channels, said the company.

Apps associated with the same domain will readily accept passkeys generated through the web API and vice versa. Passkeys work across several systems and browsers, including Windows, macOS and iOS, and ChromeOS, with a consistent user experience because they are based on industry standards, the company said.