Question Can someone explain passkeys to me?

[BarryJI]

Various services (Google, Amazon) are pushing passkeys at me instead of passwords but I don't understand how they work. How can a four-digit passkey be as safe for the user as a complex password and two-factor authentication? Google says: With passkeys, your device will simply ask you for your Windows PIN or biometric and let Google know it's really you signing in. I'd be grateful if someone can explain passkeys to me and why I should use this method vs. PWs. I'd be happy to admit it if I'm missing something self-evident. Thanks!

 

[USAFRet]

Explanations:

https://developers.google.com/identity/passkeys

https://www.dashlane.com/blog/what-is-a-passkey-and-how-does-it-work

https://support.apple.com/en-us/102195