Imagine a world without passwords...

And yes, that would include those pesky 6-digit authentication codes on your phone.

That dream may soon become a reality, at least according to Google, which yesterday announced that its 1.88 billion users can log onto their Google accounts using “passkeys” instead.

🗝️ What’s a Passkey?... While not exactly like one of those red laser eye scanners from every heist movie ever, it’s close.

Passkeys let you sign into your Google Account using a local pin or biometric authentication that’s already on the device, like the iPhone’s fingerprint or Face ID. The passkey can then be saved and transferred between devices via iCloud or a password manager like Dashlane and 1Password.

• Security wise, passkeys will make it much harder for bad actors to hack or steal your information. Without a password to steal, they’d need to have your phone or computer and access to your passkey / finger / eye.

🔍 Zoom out: Google’s not the only company that’s pro-passkey. The tech giant is part of the FIDO Alliance, which sounds like what a group of hobbits in LOTR might call themselves, but is actually an association dedicated to create a password-less future that also includes Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon.