Google is accelerating passkey adoption with tech giant partnerships, and it won’t just be exclusive to Pixel

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Google's partner passkey push to incentivise industry adoption

Google Pixel Fold review camera closeup
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Google is pushing for the adoption of passkeys as an industry standard practice to help add an extra layer of account security.

After the success of passkeys in the Google Password Manager for Pixel devices, Google is looking to partner with web service providers such as Adobe, PayPal and Ebay to make passkeys more accessible.

The Google Password Manager is currently available on the Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel devices newer than and including the Pixel 5A, but Google is also hoping to provide future passkey compatibility on other platforms.

December Feature Drop

The passkey feature for Pixel devices which includes compatibility with Google’s partners has been available since Google’s December update.

Passkeys are a more sophisticated alternative to user-generated passwords, as passkeys use public key cryptography to generate a unique login-code that is used to authenticate a login attempt without the need to enter a password.

With Google’s Password Manager on Pixel devices, you can sign in to accounts that support passkeys with nothing more than a biometric verification such as a fingerprint of facial recognition, or by simply entering your device pin/password.

Google is currency focusing on getting, “Adobe, Best Buy, DocuSign, eBay, Kayak, Money Forward, Nintendo, PayPal, Uber, Yahoo! Japan—and soon, TikTok” on board for passkey adoption in a move that should prompt others to adopt similar levels of security.

If you currently use a supported Pixel device, you can check which of your accounts are passkey supported by checking your Password Manager settings via the Password Manager shortcut or by navigating to Settings and then Passwords & Accounts.

Via 9to5Google

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Benedict Collins
Benedict Collins
Staff Writer (Security)

Benedict has been writing about security issues for over 7 years, first focusing on geopolitics and international relations while at the University of Buckingham. During this time he studied BA Politics with Journalism, for which he received a second-class honours (upper division),  then continuing his studies at a postgraduate level, achieving a distinction in MA Security, Intelligence and Diplomacy. Upon joining TechRadar Pro as a Staff Writer, Benedict transitioned his focus towards cybersecurity, exploring state-sponsored threat actors, malware, social engineering, and national security. Benedict is also an expert on B2B security products, including firewalls, antivirus, endpoint security, and password management.