What is a passkey? The easy explanation - and how they beat passwords

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• Passkeys let you sign in without typing or remembering passwords.
• Unlike passwords, they're resistant to phishing.
• Syncable passkeys make secure sign-ins easy across devices.

Over the past year or so, passkeys have hit the mainstream. The rate of adoption for this technology has been remarkable, and it shows no sign of slowing down. If your experience is like mine, you're probably invited to save a new passkey at least once or twice a week.

All told, I now have at least 40 saved passkeys. I can use those passkeys to skip the password prompt completely and sign in with biometrics (face or fingerprint) at dozens of websites, including mainstream shopping destinations like Costco, Target, Amazon, and Walmart, as well as more technical sites like Dell, Adobe, and Dropbox ...