With the new system in place, users can opt to utilize Face ID or Touch ID, rather than the traditional password, to log into any Apple-affiliated website. Incorporated in iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma, an automatic passkey is designated to the user’s Apple ID, allowing for hassle-free access to iCloud and Apple’s official websites.
Users operating on iOS 17 can immediately experience this feature. By navigating to Apple sign-in pages like appleid.apple.com or www.apple.com/shop/bag and inputting their Apple ID email, they will see an option labeled “Sign in with iPhone”.
This innovation isn’t exclusive to Apple devices; it’s functional on Safari on Mac and is even compatible with non-Apple gadgets. To activate, users simply need to scan the provided QR code with their iPhone.
Scanning the code with the Camera app will then prompt the user to employ Face ID or Touch ID, ensuring a password-free, yet secure login experience.
This transition to passkeys represents a collective push within the industry to offer a fortified authentication process. Traditional password advice urges the use of distinct, robust passwords for every online account.
However, passkeys offer a streamlined, yet secure alternative by harnessing the power of users’ smartphones. These passkeys are grounded in standards set by the FIDO Alliance and W3C.
Apple highlights that this move to cryptographic key pairs in place of passwords considerably elevates security standards.