Apple announced that it will launch passwordless logins across Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs using iOS 16 and macOS Ventura. From around September 2022, users will be able to log in to websites and apps usingpasskeys. Passkeys are based on the Web Authentication API (WebAuthn). Once a user sets up a passkey on an account, they can use it to log in by authenticating with either Face ID or Touch ID.

WebAuthn was developed by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium. The API allows servers to authenticate users by using private-public keypair (known as a credential) instead of passwords. The private key is stored on the user's device and a public key and randomly-generated credential ID is shared with the server. The server can use the public key, instead of the password to prove the user's identity. We already use these credentials: Every time we connect to an HTTPS website, a public key transaction takes place. In May, Apple, Google, and Microsoft announced they will implement the standard for common passwordless sign-in.