A passkey consists of two things: a public and private key. A private key is secret and is saved on a device, like your phone. A public key is saved on a server housing a site or service where you want to log in. When you log in to that service, the server compares the public and private keys. If they match, you're allowed in. If the keys don't match, you're denied access.
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Not every website, service, or app uses passkeys. But passkeys will become the standard eventually. One service that does use passkeys is the Bitwarden password manager. Instead of logging in with your master password, you can enable passkey authentication for a more secure and easier login process.
Let me show you how it's done.
Creating a Bitwarden passkey
What you'll need: The only things you'll need for this task are a valid Bitwarden account and Bitwarden installed on your phone or tablet (Android, iOS/iPadOS). That's it. Let's make some security magic.
As indicated, this feature is in beta (but works quite well).
Type your master password to continue.
Your mobile device that has Bitwarden installed should be listed here.
Depending on the mobile OS you use, the popup may look different.
Give your passkey a notable name.
Now, when you log in to Bitwarden, select 'Log in with passkey' and you can use the passkey on your phone to access your vaults. This login method is faster and more secure.