A website displayed a passkey dialog and I don't understand what it means

semblance

While logging in to www.linkedin.com with password & MFA using Google Chrome on macOS, the following dialog popped up over the login page:

What does this mean? Is it asking me to generate a new passkey or sign in with an existing one? Why do none of the options mention using a password manager like 1Password? And where is the dialog coming from, www.linkedin.com, Google Chrome.app, or the 1Password browser extension?

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1Password Version: 8.10.23
Extension Version: 2.18.2
OS Version: macOS 14.1.2
Browser: Chrome

ag_tommy

@semblance

This looks to be the Google Chrome password manager. The reason 1Password is not mentioned is it's the in app suggestions. I can't speak for Google but perhaps this will change?

With 1Password you should see a message like this to fill. (Upper right-hand corner.) Assuming of course the site recognizes a passkey can be used. CVS did not offer to let me use mine during this test.

semblance

Thanks @ag_tommy.

This shouldn't be happening because I've already told Google Chrome that I'm using 1Password as my password manager and disabled Chrome's autofill here:

• Google Chrome.app > Settings... > Autofill and passwords > Google Password Manager > Settings > Offer to save passwords > DISABLED (1Password – Password Manager is controlling this setting); Sign in automatically > DISABLED

For me it's doubly frustrating, because I didn't even know the pop-up was Chrome until you told me - it wasn't clear whether it was the website, macOS, Chrome, or 1Password that generated this pop-up!

In the screenshot of 1Password's passkey prompt you posted above, I can clearly see it's coming from 1Password because of the logo. But Google Chrome's pop-up doesn't have the Chrome logo. And there's nothing there to say "turn this off", "don't ask me again", or "change this setting because I'm using a password manager".

Do you have a relationship with the Google Chrome developers where you can raise this with them?

semblance

Another thought... this makes me feel sad. The broad acceptance of passkeys will only happen if easy-of-use and simplicity are paramount.

That's not gonna happen if there's like 3 different passkey implementations all fighting for the user's attention with indistinguishable pop-ups, is it?

ag_tommy

Things are in a state of change currently as we all work together to make passkeys become available. I'm sure there may be some growing pains along the way. Hopefully, as a bit of time passes things will be much more streamlined and straightforward. We as in everyone, every company, are working to bring passkeys to the world.

semblance

@ag_tommy yes of course, I get that, and I know you're all working hard on this. But as someone who's done tech support for not-so-technical relatives and older folk, I know from experience this kind of thing confuses the hell out of them.

Anyway, I submitted a bug report to Google using Google Chrome.app > Help > Report an Issue...

If anyone else experiences the same issue, I'd encourage them to do the same.

When I access a websites that support passkeys, Google Chrome pops up a dialog asking me to "Choose a passkey" (see attached screenshot).

I found 4 issues with this pop-up:

1. It shouldn't appear at all because I've already told Chrome that I'm using 1Password as my password manager (Google Chrome.app > Settings... > Autofill and passwords > Google Password Manager > Settings > Offer to save passwords > DISABLED (1Password – Password Manager is controlling this setting); Sign in automatically > DISABLED)
2. The dialog doesn't give me any options like "turn this off", "don't ask me again", or "change this setting because I'm using a password manager".
3. There is nothing in the dialog to identify that it's coming from Chrome, such as the Chrome logo or the name "Google Chrome". I didn't know if the dialog came from the website, macOS, Chrome, or the 1Password browser extension. I only realized it was Chrome when the folks at 1Password told me "This looks to be the Google Chrome password manager".
4. The wording "Choose a passkey" is a bit confusing for me. I didn't know if it meant generate a new passkey or choose an existing passkey to sign in with.

Thanks

Dave_1P

@semblance

Thank you for reporting the issue. I don't see an option to save a passkey for my LinkedIn account yet so I can't test this myself, it looks like LinkedIn may be doing a partial or staggered rollout of passkeys.

Can you double-check the following:

1. Open Chrome.
2. Right-click on the 1Password icon in your toolbar and click Settings.
3. Click Autofill.
4. Make sure that "Offer to save and sign in with passkeys" is turned on.

Then try to save or sign in with a passkey on Linkedin.com again. If you get the same prompt from Chrome then I'd like to ask for a console log so that we can investigate further:

• Save a console log for 1Password in your browser

Attach the file to an email message addressed to support+forum@1password.com.

With your email please include:

• A link to this thread: https://1password.community/discussion/143867/a-website-displayed-a-passkey-dialog-and-i-dont-understand-what-it-means
• Your forum username: semblance
• Please do not post your console log to the forum. This is for your privacy and security.

You should receive an automated reply from our BitBot assistant with a Support ID number. Please post that number here. Thanks very much!

-Dave

semblance

Hi @Dave_1P, I can confirm that "Offer to save and sign in with passkeys" was already enabled in my 1P browser extension.

I tried accessing LinkedIn again and unfortunately I couldn't get the dialog to appear again - not sure why.

However I was able to make a similar dialog appear while signing into amazon.co.uk, although I had to do some additional steps to make it appear:

1. Access amazon.co.uk
2. Click Sign-In
3. Enter my email address and click Continue
4. When the password prompt appears, click "Sign in with a passkey"
5. When the 1Password "Sign in with passkey" slideover appears, press Escape

While still confusing, this doesn't seem as bad as the original issue because I actually had to dismiss the 1Password passkey sign-in prompt to make the Chrome dialog appear.

The dialog that appears is similar but not exactly the same, there are only 2 options instead of 3:

When this first occured with LinkedIn I was not even trying to use passkeys. I was just signing in with password+MFA. No 1Password "Sign in with passkey" slideover appeared, and the Chrome dialog popped up spontaneously during the login process.

I've emailed the console log anyway. No Support ID number has appeared yet but I'll post it here when I get it.

EDIT: The Support ID is [#WZP-73318-786].

david.m_1P

Hi @semblance, I've located the support ticket that you opened via email and have sent a reply. Let's continue the conversation over there, and I'll close this thread to prevent having the same conversation in two different places. 🙂

ref: WZP-73318-786