Passkeys have reached a critical inflection point in 2026, transforming from an emerging standard into a mainstream authentication technology that Apple, Google, and Microsoft have committed to supporting across their platforms. According to Apple's joint announcement with Google and Microsoft, the three companies committed to expanded support for the FIDO standard to accelerate the availability of passwordless sign-ins across devices and services. The FIDO Alliance's Passkey Index 2025 and related reports reveal significant passkey uptake and business benefits, while NIST's updated Digital Identity Guidelines now cite synced passkeys as phishing-resistant authentication, giving enterprises and government agencies a clear mandate to adopt them. For users, passkeys mean signing in with Face ID, Touch ID, or Windows Hello instead of typing passwords, with credentials that cannot be phished or stolen from servers because only public keys are stored online and private keys never leave the device.
Passkeys are built on FIDO2 and the WebAuthn standard, which use cryptographic key pairs instead of shared secrets. When a user creates a passkey for a site or app, the device generates a unique key pair: a private key stays on the device (or in a synced, encrypted vault such as iCloud Keychain), and a public key is sent to the relying party. Sign-in requires proving possession of the private key, typically by unlocking the device with a biometric or PIN, so that even if an attacker steals the public key or phishes the user to a fake site, they cannot complete authentication. According to FIDO Alliance passkey overview, this design offers protection against phishing, improved server security because only public keys are stored, and in implementations such as Apple's, end-to-end encryption for synced credentials so that even the platform provider cannot read them. The result is a shift from "something you know" (passwords) to "something you have" (device) plus "something you are" (biometric) or "something you know" (device PIN), dramatically reducing the attack surface that has made passwords the weak link in security for decades.
What Passkeys Are and Why They Matter
Passkeys are a form of passwordless authentication that replace traditional passwords with cryptographic credentials bound to a user's device and, in many implementations, synced securely across their devices. According to Apple's passkey documentation, passkeys use public-key cryptography so that the server stores only a public key and cannot derive the private key, eliminating the risk of server-side credential theft that has led to billions of leaked passwords in past breaches. When a user signs in, the device proves possession of the private key by completing a cryptographic challenge, and the user unlocks the device with Face ID, Touch ID, or a device PIN, so there is nothing to type or remember.
The importance of passkeys has grown as phishing, credential stuffing, and account takeover have become the dominant vectors for breaches. Passwords are reused across sites, stored insecurely, and phished at scale; even strong passwords and password managers cannot fully eliminate the risk when the authentication model itself is shared-secret based. Passkeys change the model: the credential is cryptographically bound to the app or website origin, so a passkey created for a legitimate site cannot be used on a phishing copy, and servers never see a secret that could be stolen. According to FIDO Alliance resources, this phishing resistance is a core design goal of FIDO2 and is now explicitly recognized by NIST in its Digital Identity Guidelines, giving organizations a standards-based rationale to adopt passkeys for high-assurance use cases.
For users, the experience is simpler than passwords: create an account or sign in, and when prompted, use a biometric or PIN instead of typing. For developers and enterprises, passkeys reduce support costs (fewer password resets), improve security posture (fewer credential-based attacks), and align with regulatory and insurance expectations for stronger authentication. As Apple, Google, and Microsoft have rolled out passkey creation, storage, and sign-in across their ecosystems, the technology has moved from early adopter to mainstream option for hundreds of millions of users.
The Technical Foundation: FIDO2 and WebAuthn
Passkeys rest on FIDO2, an open standard developed by the FIDO Alliance and adopted by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) as WebAuthn (Web Authentication). FIDO2 defines how clients (browsers, operating systems, apps) and servers (relying parties) create and use public-key credentials for authentication without passwords. According to FIDO Alliance passkey overview, the standard ensures that private keys never leave the authenticator (the device or security key), that credentials are bound to the relying party's origin so they cannot be used on other sites, and that authentication requires user verification (biometric or PIN) so that stealing the device alone is insufficient.
WebAuthn is the API that web applications use to request passkey creation or sign-in. When a site calls the WebAuthn API, the browser or OS prompts the user to create a passkey (e.g., with Face ID) or to select an existing passkey and complete the challenge. The client generates or uses a key pair, signs the challenge with the private key, and returns the signature to the server; the server verifies the signature with the stored public key and completes the sign-in. No password is transmitted or stored. The same standard works across platform authenticators (built into the device, such as Touch ID or Windows Hello) and cross-platform authenticators (roaming security keys such as YubiKeys), so that enterprises can mix device-bound and hardware-key strategies.
The binding to the relying party ID (typically the site's domain) is what makes passkeys phishing-resistant. A passkey created for bank.example.com will not work on bank-phishing.evil.com because the origin is different; the authenticator will not release a signature for the wrong origin. This property cannot be achieved with passwords, which users can be tricked into entering on fake sites. As a result, passkeys address the single largest cause of account compromise while simplifying the user experience and reducing the burden on servers (no password hashes to store, verify, or rotate).
Apple, Google, and Microsoft: Platform Implementation
Apple, Google, and Microsoft have each integrated passkeys into their operating systems, browsers, and account ecosystems, so that users can create passkeys on one device and use them across others where appropriate. According to Apple's joint commitment with Google and Microsoft, the three companies pledged to expand FIDO support so that users could sign in without a password across a wide range of devices and services, using the same FIDO standards to ensure interoperability.
Apple stores passkeys in iCloud Keychain, synced end-to-end encrypted across the user's Apple devices. According to Apple Developer passkey documentation, users can sign in with Face ID or Touch ID on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and use their iPhone as an authenticator for sign-in on non-Apple devices (e.g., a Windows PC) by scanning a QR code and completing the sign-in on the phone. Apple has added streamlined account creation APIs, automatic passkey upgrades (prompting users to create a passkey when they sign in with a password), and secure import and export between password managers, so that adoption can ramp without forcing users to abandon existing workflows overnight.
Microsoft supports passkeys in Windows 10 and Windows 11 through Windows Hello (biometrics or PIN). According to Microsoft's passkey documentation, passkeys can be managed natively starting with Windows 11 version 22H2, and users can create and use passkeys for web and compatible apps without third-party software. Microsoft accounts and Azure AD / Entra ID are moving toward passkey and FIDO2 as first-class options for consumer and enterprise sign-in, aligning with zero-trust and phishing-resistant authentication goals.
Google has integrated passkeys into Android and Chrome, with passkeys stored in Google Password Manager and synced across the user's Google account. Users can create passkeys on Android or Chrome and use them on other devices, and Google has pushed automatic passkey creation when users sign in with a password on supported sites, accelerating adoption. Together, the three platforms cover the vast majority of consumer and enterprise devices, so that passkey support is no longer a differentiator but an expectation.
Phishing Resistance and NIST Recognition
The primary security benefit of passkeys is phishing resistance: because the credential is cryptographically bound to the relying party's origin, an attacker who tricks a user into visiting a fake site cannot use the user's passkey to authenticate. According to FIDO Alliance reporting on NIST, NIST's updated Digital Identity Guidelines now cite synced passkeys as a phishing-resistant authentication method, resolving earlier questions about whether cloud-synced passkeys (as opposed to only device-bound or hardware-key credentials) would be deemed acceptable for high-assurance use cases.
NIST recognition matters for government agencies, regulated industries, and enterprises that must comply with identity guidelines (e.g., CISA's phishing-resistant MFA guidance, insurance requirements, or sector-specific rules). Synced passkeys allow users to have a single set of credentials across devices without carrying a hardware key, while still meeting the bar for phishing-resistant authentication. This combination of security and usability has accelerated adoption in both consumer and enterprise contexts.
For consumers, the benefit is straightforward: even if they receive a convincing phishing email or SMS and click a link to a fake site, their passkey will not work there, and the attacker cannot capture a password or one-time code. For enterprises, passkeys reduce the risk of credential-based breaches and support compliance with frameworks that require phishing-resistant MFA for sensitive access.
Adoption, UX, and the Passkey Index
Measuring passkey adoption has historically been difficult because there is no single global counter of passkey creations or sign-ins. The FIDO Alliance Passkey Index 2025 and related FIDO Alliance announcement provide a structured view of passkey uptake and business benefits, drawing on certified products, implementation guidance, and ecosystem data. The Alliance also maintains statistics sources and a Passkey Directory for organizations implementing passkeys, and has released a World Passkey Day 2025 report on consumer password and passkey trends, tracking how users are adopting the technology.
User experience has been a focus from the start. Passkeys are intended to be easier than passwords: no typing, no memorization, and in many flows a single tap or glance to sign in. Friction points remain, including cross-device and cross-platform flows (e.g., signing in on a shared or borrowed device), recovery if the user loses access to all devices holding the passkey, and legacy system integration where older apps or services do not yet support WebAuthn. Platform and identity providers are addressing these with QR-code sign-in (using the phone as an authenticator for another device), recovery options (e.g., account recovery codes or fallback to password with step-up verification), and gradual rollout (passkeys alongside passwords until adoption and support mature).
Enterprise and Developer Adoption
Enterprises are adopting passkeys for workforce and customer authentication, driven by security benefits, regulatory pressure, and the desire to reduce password-related support costs. Identity and access management (IAM) vendors have added passkey creation, storage, and verification to their products, so that enterprises can enforce passkey-first or passkey-required policies for sensitive applications. Single sign-on (SSO) and federated identity providers are integrating passkeys so that users can sign in once with a passkey and access multiple applications without re-authenticating with a password.
Developers implementing passkeys must support the WebAuthn API (or platform-specific equivalents) for registration and authentication, store public keys and credential IDs on the server, and design flows that work across devices (e.g., offering QR-code or link-based sign-in when the user is on a device that does not have the passkey). According to Apple Developer passkeys, Apple provides Account Manager and related APIs to streamline automatic passkey upgrades and cross-device sign-in, and similar patterns are emerging on other platforms. As more sites and apps add passkey support, the network effect strengthens: users who already have passkeys for a few high-traffic services are more likely to create them elsewhere, and developers see clearer ROI in implementing the standard.
Challenges: Recovery, Legacy Systems, and Inertia
Despite rapid progress, passkeys face real challenges. Recovery is one: if a user loses access to every device that holds their passkeys (e.g., loss of phone and laptop with no backup), they need a way to regain access. Today this often falls back to account recovery mechanisms (email, SMS, or support-assisted recovery) that can themselves be weak or targeted. Escrow-free recovery (e.g., social or cryptographic recovery) remains an active area of research and product development.
Legacy systems are another: many internal and external applications still rely on passwords or traditional MFA (SMS, TOTP) and do not yet support WebAuthn. Enterprises must run hybrid environments where some apps use passkeys and others use passwords, and migration can be slow. Inertia also matters: users and organizations are accustomed to passwords, and changing behavior requires clear benefit, minimal friction, and sometimes mandate (e.g., "passkey required for this app").
Finally, cross-platform and cross-ecosystem flows can be confusing. A user with an iPhone and a Windows PC may have passkeys in iCloud Keychain and need to use the iPhone to sign in on the PC; the QR-code flow works but is an extra step. As platforms improve passkey sync (e.g., via password managers that support passkeys) and cross-device sign-in, these friction points should diminish.
Standards, Interop, and the Road Ahead
Passkeys succeed because they are built on open standards (FIDO2, WebAuthn) implemented by multiple vendors and platforms. Interoperability means that a passkey created on an Apple device can be used in a Chrome browser on Windows, and a passkey stored in a third-party password manager can work across ecosystems, as long as the manager and the relying party both support the standard. The FIDO Alliance, W3C, and platform vendors continue to refine the standards (e.g., discoverable credentials, conditional UI, multi-device credential proposals) to improve UX and cover more use cases.
The road ahead will likely see passkeys as the default for new accounts and high-value services, with passwords as fallback for legacy and recovery. Hardware security keys will remain important for high-assurance and regulated contexts. Passkey sync (via platform or password manager) will become the norm for consumers, while enterprises may mix device-bound, synced, and hardware-key policies. Regulatory and insurance pressure for phishing-resistant MFA will keep pushing adoption, and as the Passkey Index and consumer surveys show, uptake and business benefits are already significant and growing.
Conclusion: The End of the Password Era
Passkeys have moved from experimental to mainstream in 2026, with Apple, Google, and Microsoft committed to FIDO and the FIDO Alliance's Passkey Index and NIST recognition underscoring both adoption and the security case for passwordless authentication. FIDO2-based passkeys replace passwords with cryptographic key pairs, provide phishing resistance by design, and simplify sign-in with Face ID, Touch ID, or Windows Hello. Challenges around recovery, legacy systems, and cross-platform UX remain, but the direction of travel is clear: the industry is shifting from "something you know" to "something you have" plus "something you are," and passkeys are the vehicle for that shift. For security, usability, and compliance, the era of the password is giving way to the era of the passkey.
