Every single Android owner pushed to use new settings – or risk very costly dangers

ANDROID users are encouraged to try a new setting that may help you stay safe online.

Google says its new Passkeys feature is “significantly more secure” than using passwords.

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Passkeys were launched worldwide yesterday as a replacement for using passwords.

It’s a big job for Google (along with partners like Apple and Microsoft) to break the world of passwords that are widely considered dangerous.

“Passkeys are a much more secure replacement for passwords and other phishable authentication factors,” said Google Android product manager Diego Zavala.

“They cannot be reused, do not leak on server breaches, and protect users from phishing attacks.

“Based on industry standards, passkeys work across different operating systems and browser ecosystems, and can be used for both websites and apps.”

Passwords have always been problematic.

Even if you choose strong passwords, they don’t necessarily protect you.

This is because they could be leaked or hacked using methods beyond your control.

And you could even be phished by a scammer who convinces you to unknowingly give them your information.

In comparison, passkeys use any authentication system you would normally use to unlock your phone.

This can be face recognition or a fingerprint scanner.

And it means you don’t have to remember lots of complicated passwords.

You can create and use passkeys on your Android device.

And they sync securely via Google Password Manager.

To create a master key, you need to find a site that supports it.

Then just confirm your Passkey account information and then show your fingerprint, face or screen lock.

Signing in is similar: select your account and then use your normal unlock method.

You can also use your phone passkeys to log into other devices, which is handy if you’re using a PC.

Unfortunately, not every website supports passkeys yet.

But they are becoming more and more popular over time, so you will find that more sites are offering this option.

It helps that Apple and Microsoft are also pushing passkeys, with the iPhone recently adding support for them in iOS 16.

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