Password managers have become all the rage in the past couple of years. After all, who wouldn’t want to ensure that all their passwords were safely and privately secured? Then, of course, there arepasskeys that keep your data secureby replacing long and drawn-out passwords and ensuring a simple sign-in every time. One of the leading names in the password manager world is 1Password, which alsoallows users to create passkeys in its app.
Mitch Cohen, 1Password’s Director of Product, confirmed in apress releasethat anyone can join the company’s public beta and create a new 1Password Individual account using a passkey starting today. Essentially, this sign-in method would remove the need to memorize a password or keep track of a key to unlock the account. 1Password hadtoyed with this feature as part of a private beta backin June, but has now opened up the beta to everyone.
The company delved deeper into what exactly passkeys are good for, explaining that the authentication method is being supported by all the major operating systems run by Google, Microsoft, Apple, and password managers like themselves. Despite being popularized fairly recently, they are already becoming a preferred means of privacy due to their resistance to phishing and stealing, as well as their overall ease of use. They differ from the traditional password plus Secret Key method by using a two-key approach known as public-key cryptography.
Users interested in going passwordless by trying out a passkey protected account will be able to download 1Password, use their mobile or desktop sign-up link to join the now public beta, create an Individual account, and then follow the required steps to complete the process. Once a passkey is created, users can use their first device to set up more trusted devices with 1Password. These “trusted devices” are the key to always having access to passkeys. Users will also be able to use their passkeys in the company’s web app and browser extension on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Brave.
1Password alsobrought passkeys to mobileas part of its now closed private beta last summer, and it looks like mobile support will be available in the public beta. If you’re wondering what happens if you do find yourself locked out of your account, 1Password has that covered too. As an emergency option, users can generate a recovery code by signing in to their 1Password account on its official website. The code can be found by clicking on the user’s name in the top right-hand corner and selecting “Authentication.”
Now looks like the perfect time to check out the possibilities of passkey-backed account safety, with Cohen confirming that anyone creating a 1Password account via the new public beta will receive an extended free trial that lasts for the duration of the beta.
