Passkeys in a World of Password Managers

The tech industry has made a significant push toward a passwordless future. You have likely seen prompts on your iPhone or Mac asking you to create a passkey for websites like Google or Amazon. While the marketing suggests this is a revolutionary shift in security, the reality for users of dedicated password managers is a bit more nuanced. For those who already follow best practices—using unique, complex, randomly generated passwords for every account—the transition to passkeys may offer less of a day-to-day benefit than advertised.

Stanton Mac Support is an Apple-focused tech support company based in Somerville, specializing in tutoring, troubleshooting, and problem-solving for Mac and Apple users across Greater Boston. If you are trying to determine if your current security setup is sufficient, our team provides on-site troubleshooting and security reviews to ensure your data and passwords remain protected.

What Passkeys Actually Are

A passkey is not a secret phrase you remember; it is a digital credential stored on your device. It uses public-key cryptography to prove your identity to a website without ever sending a password over the internet. When you log in, your Mac or iPhone uses biometrics, like Touch ID or Face ID, to unlock this credential and sign you in instantly. This technology is fundamentally resistant to phishing because a passkey created for a specific website will not work on a fraudulent or look-alike site.

However, if you are using a high-quality password manager, you are already protected against the most common threats that passkeys aim to solve. We have long suggested that 1Password is one of our favorite apps because it ensures you never reuse passwords and helps prevent you from entering credentials into suspicious sites. While passkeys are technically more robust because there is no secret for a hacker to steal from a server, the practical security gap between a passkey and a randomized password stored in an encrypted vault is relatively small for the average user.

The Trade-offs of a Passkey-Only Future

The primary challenge with passkeys remains flexibility and interoperability. While Apple, Google, and Microsoft have improved how these keys sync, they are still largely designed to live within a specific ecosystem. A passkey saved to your iCloud Keychain is seamless across your Apple devices but can be cumbersome to use if you occasionally need to log in from a Windows PC or a shared computer.

Even with the arrival of Apple’s dedicated Passwords app, which centralizes security tools, dedicated password managers still offer more robustness for many workflows. Shared vaults and cross-platform access remain the standard for families or small teams. For these users, passkeys can actually introduce more friction, as sharing a passkey involves technical hurdles that vary from one platform to another, whereas sharing a traditional password remains a straightforward process.

Staying Secure Without the Hype

For most users, there is no immediate need to convert every account to a passkey. If your current system involves a master password and a reliable manager that generates unique credentials for every site, you are already in the top tier of digital security. The most important factor is consistency. Whether you choose to adopt passkeys for a few high-security accounts or stick with your trusted password manager, the goal is to eliminate human error and weak, reused passwords.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the constant prompts to change your login methods or if you want to streamline how your family manages its digital life, Stanton Mac Support is here to help. We can help you organize your credentials and ensure your backup systems are in place so you never lose access to your important accounts. To schedule a personalized session, please get in touch via our contact page.