1Password
The ongoing transition away from passwords has reached yet another milestone, as credential manager app 1Password is debuting support for passkeys on the web. If you are using the beta version of the 1Password web browser extension, you can now enjoy passwordless logins wherever they are supported. If you’re wanting to try passkeys with 1Password, here’s how.
What are passkeys?
The wider tech industry has been looking to get every single login on the internet moved over to passkeys for a while now, but the momentum has increased in the past year with MIcrosoft, Apple, and Google supporting passkeys on some of their credential managing services. We got a great crash course on passkeys, but the kernel of it is: Instead of logging into a site with a password, you log in with a passkey facilitator (could be a manager app, could be embedded with your browser), and it performs the handshake with the service you’re trying to access.
In other words, a passkey is a type of passwordless authentication method for your favorite online accounts. 1Password announced its plans to support passkeys in February 2023. This includes the ability to log into 1Password itself using a passkey, which is expected to roll out in July. Competitors including Bitwarden, Dashlane, and NordPass have also made plans, but this move seems to be one of the first in the field of dedicated password managers.
How to use passkeys with 1Password on the web
1Password / Pocket-lint
1. Subscribe to 1Password
If you aren’t already subscribed to 1Password, you’ll need to do so. Pricing starts at $35.88 for a year on an individual plan.
2. Get the 1Passsword Beta extension
Once you’re a customer (or if you’re already one), you’ll need to install the 1Password Beta extension for your browser:
- Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Brave, etc.)
- Firefox
- Safari
3. Visit a supported online service
Next, you’ll want to check your online accounts and see if those sites support passkeys. If you need help finding them 1Password hosts a directory of services that accept passkeys at login as well as part of a multi-factor authentication process. For your existing accounts, you’ll want to check your security settings to see if there any options to set a passkey. Keep in mind that even if a site is said to support passkeys, it may be rolling out that support in phases, so you might not see the option to set one up at the moment. 1Password has a feature called Watchtower that, among other things, will notify you in the extension of when you can create a new account or update an existing one with a passkey.
Once you have entered into the passkey setup process, just make sure that you select 1Password as the client with which to store your key. After that, whenever you need to log into that site, you’ll see a prompt from the 1Password Beta extension to sign in with your passkey. Click a button and you’re through. It’s as effortless as that.
Does 1Password plan to support passkeys on mobile?
1Password and other credential managers are working on passkey support for Android and iOS as well, but those will need to wait on platform-level updates before they can actually get going. We know that Android 14 will make passkey support official, but aren’t sure what kind of path Apple is charting.