Every single Android owner urged to use new setting – or risk very costly danger

ANDROID users are being urged to try a new setting that can help to keep you safe online.

Google says its new Passkeys feature is “significantly safer” than using passwords.

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Passkeys launched around the world yesterday, as a replacement to using passwords.

It’s a big by Google (as well as partners including Apple and Microsoft) to wean the world off passwords, which are widely considered dangerous.

“Passkeys are a significantly safer replacement for passwords and other phishable authentication factors,” said Google Android product manager Diego Zavala.

“They cannot be reused, don’t leak in server breaches, and protect users from phishing attacks.

“Passkeys are built on industry standards and work across different operating systems and browser ecosystems, and can be used for both websites and apps.”

Passwords have always been problematic.

Even if you choose strong passwords, they won’t necessarily protect you.

That’s because they could be leaked or hacked using methods beyond your control.

And you could even be “phished” by a trickster who convinces you to unwittingly hand them your info.

By comparison, Passkeys use whatever authentication system you’d normally unlock your phone with.

That might be facial recognition or a fingerprint scanner.

And it means you don’t need to remember loads of complicated passwords.

You can create and use Passkeys on your Android device.

And they’ll be securely synced through the Google Password Manager.

To create a Passkey, you’ll need to find a website that supports it.

Then simply confirm your Passkey account info, and then present your fingerprint, face or screen lock.

Signing in is similar: choose your account and then use your normal unlocking method.

You can also use your phone Passkeys to sign on to other devices, which is handy if you’re using a PC.

Sadly not every website supports passkeys yet.

But they’ll become increasingly popular over time, so you’ll find that more websites offer the option.

It helps that Apple and Microsoft are also pushing passkeys, with iPhone recently adding support for them in iOS 16.

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