Saving a passkey in Safari
I'm trying to dive in to passkeys but having issues understanding it. For example, I have a website that I use regularly that, after entering the username, shows me an option for a passkey and another for a password. When I tap on the passkey icon it asks me to scan a window that appears on my screen. I did so with my iPhone 15 Pro camera on which another little yellow icon appeared asking me to tap it. So I did, and It said there was no passkey for that site. How do I establish a passkey for the site? Watchtower only shows two sites where passkeys are available.
I'm kind of missing something here. For existing 1Password accounts, when you change to a passkey, are you replacing the username and password or what? What actually identifies ME? And what happened to biometrics? Right now I'm using my fingerprint on my Mac and iPad to open 1 Password and Face Recognition on my iPhone. Is that the best way? I thought biometrics would be the way of the future, but I guess not.
Please clarify. I am absolutely confused.
1Password Version: 8.10.20
Extension Version: 2.17.1
OS Version: macOS 14.1.2
Browser: Safari
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Hello @jazzman! 👋
I'm happy to help provide some clarity on how passkeys works. Passkeys are a modern alternative to passwords – they enable people to log in to their online accounts without having to enter a password. Passkeys are saved in your 1Password account and are protected using the same security and encryption as your passwords. If you currently use Touch ID or Face ID to unlock 1Password when you use your passwords to login then you'll continue to use Touch ID and Face ID to unlock 1Password when saving or signing in with passkeys.
Before you can use a passkey to sign into a website, you'll first need to save a passkey for that website. If you're using a browser on your Mac then make sure that 1Password in the browser is installed and then follow our guide:
The specific steps for saving a passkey on each website will differ based on that website's implementation of passkeys.
Watchtower only shows two sites where passkeys are available.
Not all websites currently support passkeys. You can see which ones do by checking the directory: Passkeys.directory
If these steps don't work then are you able to share the address of the website that you're trying to save a passkey for?
-Dave
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Hi @Dave_1P
Thanks so much, Dave.
- I do have the 1Password Extension installed in Safari.
- In order to get a passkey for a website, does it have to be in the Passkeys Directory? Although the one I mentioned had a passkey option, it is not listed in the directory.
- When using a passkey, does a website require a username and passkey instead of a username and password?
- Can you give me an example of a passkey?
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Thank you for the reply. I'll respond to your questions below:
In order to get a passkey for a website, does it have to be in the Passkeys Directory? Although the one I mentioned had a passkey option, it is not listed in the directory.
The websites listed in the Passkeys Directory are those that our team has verified, however there will be websites that support passkeys out there that we're still working to add to the directory. If you come across one of these websites then you can submit it: Passkeys Directory Contribution Form
When using a passkey, does a website require a username and passkey instead of a username and password?
This depends on each website's implementation of passkeys but you'll usually see a username and passkey.
Can you give me an example of a passkey?
Here's an example of what a passkey looks like in 1Password when saved using our demo site:
Can you let me know which website you're trying to save a passkey for?
-Dave
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I called the Internet Department of the website above, and they couldn't even tell me how to use a passkey with their website. So I would just forget this one.
However, I did review the instructions on the 1Password site about how to replace a password on an existing account with a passkey. Most of the steps seem simple, but there are some that are unclear. Therefore, I am a little uneasy about jumping in at the moment. I don't want to screw anything up. I wish I had someone to assist on the first one.
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Hey @jazzman,
Thank you for getting back to us.
If you point us at a website you are looking to save a passkey for we can provide you with more detailled steps. We are always happy to help!
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Hey @steph.giles,
Thanks for your note.
I mentioned a site to Dave, but even their IT Department couldn’t tell me how to use a passkey on their site. So let’s forget that one. Yesterday I did figure out how to use a passkey on one of my existing accounts.
Tell me this. When you start using a passkey on an account, does the passkey always stay the same or does it somehow change as you use the site?
I did review the 1Password instructions on using passkeys. Some things I understood, but others I didn’t. So I’m just doing the best I can.
Another thing. I am confused about biometrics. I thought they were the future instead of passwords or passkeys. Now I find that some sites use one or the other or a combination of the three. Very confusing.
I just find that you have to deal with each site individually.
Tell me where I ‘m wrong.
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If you stick to just adding passkeys to the websites that Watchtower flags then the experience should work more smoothly since we've verified that those websites support passkeys properly. New websites are added constantly as passkey are adopted more and more.
When you start using a passkey on an account, does the passkey always stay the same or does it somehow change as you use the site?
I'm not sure that I understand the question, can you clarify a litter further? Once you've saved a passkey for a website in 1Password, you'll use that same passkey to sign into that website on all of your devices. The passkey won't change unless you delete it and save a new passkey.
I am confused about biometrics. I thought they were the future instead of passwords or passkeys. Now I find that some sites use one or the other or a combination of the three. Very confusing.
When using 1Password, biometrics unlock 1Password and allow you to save or sign in with either a passkey or password. Some services might use biometrics to lock their app after you've already signed in so that unauthorized people who gain access to your device can't use the app without your permission.
-Dave
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You answered my questions. Thank you very much.
I find that it's just as you said. Biometrics unlock 1Password and allow you to save or sign in with either a passkey or password. Some apps, like on my iPad and iPhone, allow you to use biometrics to gain entrance to the app without a password. Some require a combination of biometrics with either a passkey or password.Things are rapidly changing.
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Hopefully as passkeys and biometrics become more widespread things will become more intuitive. If you have any other questions in the future please don't hesitate to ask. 🙂
-Dave
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