Passkeys instead of passwords: This is how you can really secure your accounts in 2026

The strongest password in the world is of no use if it is on a hacked server. That's exactly why passwords are quietly disappearing from our everyday lives.

Why passwords fail

They have to be long, unique and secret - three requirements that hardly anyone meets for dozens of accounts. The result: the same password everywhere, easy to guess, and at risk for all services in the event of any data leak.

What passkeys do differently

A passkey consists of two cryptographic keys. The public one is with the service, the private one stays on your device and never leaves it. You log in with your fingerprint, face or device PIN - there's nothing left to steal, guess or phish.

You can't reveal a secret that your device never reveals.

More convenient and more secure at the same time

Usually more security is less inconvenient. Passkeys are the rare exception: no typing, no remembering, no resetting. All it takes is a glance or a touch and the login is inherently immune to the most common attacks.

How to get started

• Most important accounts first: Email and bank are the crown jewels - secure them first.
• Enable passkey in security settings, wherever offered.
• Use password managers of passkeys across multiple devices synchronized.
• Keep two-factor where there are no passkeys yet.

What happens if my device is lost

The most common concern is: What if I lose my cell phone? There are two fuses for exactly that. First, passkeys are synchronized encrypted between your devices via your password manager or user account - a new device restores them. Second, if a device is lost, no one can unlock it without your fingerprint, face, or PIN; The passkey alone is of no use to a thief.

It still doesn't hurt to create a second passkey for the most important accounts on another device or to make a secure note of recovery codes. This means you are protected even if a device fails completely - protection that a forgotten password never offered.

Not every service supports the technology yet, but the list is growing every month. Anyone who starts converting their most important accounts today will make the biggest leap in security with the least amount of effort in their digital life. You don't have to change everything in one day either. Start with a single account, get used to the new login, and then expand step by step. After just a few weeks you will ask yourself why you ever wanted to remember dozens of passwords - and the old feeling of insecurity with every login mask will disappear. Security doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective – on the contrary. It is precisely because passkeys are so convenient that people actually use them, and used security is always better than the theoretically perfect one that no one sets up. This is exactly where their real breakthrough lies: They make the right thing the easiest way.