1Password will support passkeys later this year, skipping passwords and secret keys

Ben Schoon | Feb 9 2023 - 12:54 pm PT

Starting later this year, 1Password will launch support for passkeys as a more secure and more convenient alternative to traditional passwords.

Announced in a blog post this afternoon, 1Password will adopt support for passkeys. Passkeys have also been adopted by the likes of Google, Apple, and other Big Tech brands, with the goal of moving away from traditional password for a more secure option. Passkeys use biometrics on your smartphone to authenticate services, even if you’re trying to log in on another device or a computer.

With 1Password, the addition of passkeys allows for a much simpler password manager experience. Currently, 1Password works through the combination of a password with a “Secret Key,” which is a complex and unique code that’s used to sign into your account on a new device. With passkeys, 1Password says passwords and the Secret Keys won’t be needed.

Passkeys also use biometrics, but they allow us to go farther and eliminate the underlying password entirely. If you’re curious to learn how exactly they work, you can explore our passkey explainer. But in a nutshell, passkeys are built on the same security foundation as our Secret Key – public key cryptography – but without requiring a password. This ensures strong security properties, while being a heck of a lot more convenient to use.

It’s win-win for both security and usability.

All you’ll ever need to sign in to 1Password, unlock your vaults, and securely access your data is your one passkey.

There’s no direct timeline for when passkeys will arrive in 1Password, but the functionality should arrive over this summer.