I have a hard time remembering my Apple ID password because I’m taking my own advice: I’m using a long, unique password for it. I also change it from time to time. The truth is I hardly need to remember it, as I also use a password manager that safeguards all those unique and complex passwords. Not to mention that I rely on Face ID on my iPhone to authenticate my Apple ID. But come iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma, I won’t have to remember my Apple ID password again. That’s because Apple is adding passkey support to each Apple ID account, making signing in a breeze.
Face ID (or Touch ID) on iPhone already makes it easy to authenticate Apple ID purchases. On Mac, I use Touch ID to log into a password manager that holds that Apple ID password. But while I’ve already made it easy to log into Apple ID, I’m still relying on a password for logins, especially on Mac. Even if 1Password auto-fills it for me.
But that’s about to change this year with the arrival of passkey support for Apple ID. Some iPhone users who have installed the iOS 17 beta have seen the feature in the wild. You can use a passkey assigned to your Apple ID to log into your Apple account on the web. That is, you can use your iPhone’s Face ID to log into websites you load on your Mac.
Per MacRumors, if you have an Apple ID, you’ll be assigned a passkey starting with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma.
This will let you log into Apple’s various sites using the iPhone’s biometric authentication method instead of the password. That’s how passkeys work, whether they’re from Apple or Google. Each account (Apple ID, Gmail, etc.) has its passkey. But your face or finger will unlock it.
You’ll use Face ID or Touch ID on iPhone and iPad, depending on which model you own. On Mac, you’ll have Touch ID ready to sign in to your Apple ID using passkey. Or you’ll use your iPhone. This will come in handy especially if you have a Windows PC rather than a MC.
The new feature will work on apple.com, icloud.com, appleid.apple.com, appstoreconnect.apple.com, and others. As you can see in the screenshot above, Apple will still let you log in with your password. But you can choose the passkey instead. That’s the “Sign in with iPhone” option.
Furthermore, passkey support is also coming to the apps and websites that support “Sign in with Apple” authentication. You’ll rely on the same biometrics authentication method to access those websites and apps.
As you can see above, you can test the functionality well before the final versions of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma are out. If you still can’t see the passkey login, it might not be available for you yet. But that should change in the future.
The passkey feature will be available to Apple device users who install this year’s operating systems. If you stay on iOS 16 or macOS Ventura, you’ll be presented with a QR code to log in.
I’ll remind you that passkeys do not “kill” the password. They complement it, making it easier and safer to log into apps and services. You should still use a strong, unique password with your Apple ID account and updated it with some regularity.
