Bitwarden, one of our top picks for free password managers, is adding support for passkeys in the latest version of its browser extensions. Passkeys can use your device’s pin, face, or fingerprint for authentication, and are a more secure and convenient alternative to traditional passwords that are also more resilient to phishing attacks.
Bitwarden begins adding passkey support to its password manager
The browser extension will now be able to store passkeys for supported websites, though you’ll have to wait a little longer for full support in its mobile apps.
The browser extension will now be able to store passkeys for supported websites, though you’ll have to wait a little longer for full support in its mobile apps.
Although the company has announced that passkey support is coming in the new 2023.10 release, the update appears to be in the process of rolling out — I’m still seeing the previous 2023.9.2 version listed on the Chrome Web Store as of this writing. But I’ve verified that it’s working on Safari with the latest version of Bitwarden’s Mac app and extension. The rollout of the feature follows support from Apple and Google’s built-in password managers, as well as competing third-party password managers like 1Password.
What are passkeys?
Passkeys can replace traditional passwords with your device’s own authentication methods. That way, you can sign in to Gmail, PayPal, or iCloud just by activating Face ID on your iPhone, your Android phone’s fingerprint sensor, or with Windows Hello on a PC.
Built on WebAuthn (or Web Authentication) tech, two different keys are generated when you create a passkey: one stored by the website or service where your account is and a private key stored on the device you use to verify your identity.
Of course, if passkeys are stored on your device, what happens if it gets broken or lost? Since passkeys work across multiple devices, you may have a backup available. Many services that support passkeys will also reauthenticate to your phone number or email address or to a hardware security key, if you have one.
Apple’s and Google’s password vaults already support passkeys, and so do password managers like 1Password and Dashlane. 1Password has also created an online directory listing services that allow users to sign in using a passkey.
With its latest release, Bitwarden supports storing and logging in with passkeys using its browser extensions, and released a couple of instructional videos showing how the process works. The browser should prompt you to save a passkey as a new login method when it detects that a compatible website is trying to create a passkey, and then it’ll ask if you want to login with this passkey when you return to the same website later. You can verify a passkey login using a PIN, pattern, password, or biometrics, depending on the device you’re using, according to Bitwarden.
Although passkeys aren’t as widely supported as traditional passwords, an increasing number of websites are adding them as a login option. This community-run database should give you some idea of which websites support logging in via passkeys, and in recent months we’ve seen big players like Amazon, Google, and Nintendo making moves to support and promote their use.
Although Bitwarden now supports storing and logging in using passkeys from its browser extensions, it’s not currently possible to store passkeys in the company’s mobile app. According to Bitwarden’s FAQ, this feature is “planned for a future release.”
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Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
Richard Lawler
