Signing in with a passkey: step-by-step guide

A passkey replaces the password: you sign in with your computer's PIN, your fingerprint or your face. It cannot be guessed or stolen by a fake site. This guide explains, device by device, how to use it and what to do if something gets stuck.

No passkey? An email code is enough

You can create your account and sign in without a passkey: enter your address, receive a six-digit code, and that's it. You can add a passkey later from "My account".

Good to know: a passkey comes in addition to the other ways to sign in. The email code and password remain available, unless you choose "Accept the passkey only" in "My account". In that case, register two passkeys (for example your computer and your phone) so you are never locked out.

Step by step, by device

On a Windows computer (Windows Hello)

Click "Sign in with a passkey" (or "Create my account with a passkey").
A "Windows Security" window opens. If it offers several choices, pick "This Windows PC" or "This device".
Enter your Windows session PIN, the one you type to unlock the computer, or use your fingerprint or face recognition if available.
Done: the page continues on its own.

If Windows asks you to create a PIN: open Settings, then Accounts, then Sign-in options, then "PIN (Windows Hello)", and click Set up. Then go back to the page and try again.

On a Mac

Click "Sign in with a passkey".
Touch Touch ID, or enter your Mac session password.
The page continues on its own.

To find your passkeys on all your Apple devices, turn on iCloud Keychain: System Settings, your name, iCloud, then "Passwords & Keychain".

On an iPhone or iPad

Open the site in Safari or Chrome, then tap "Sign in with a passkey".
A sheet at the bottom of the screen offers your passkey: tap Continue.
Confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode.

You need iOS 16 or later and iCloud Keychain turned on: Settings, your name, iCloud, then "Passwords & Keychain".

On an Android phone

Open the site in Chrome, then tap "Sign in with a passkey".
Choose your Google account or your password manager in the window that appears.
Confirm with your fingerprint, face or screen lock.

You need Android 9 or later, with a screen lock set up.

Using your phone for a computer (QR code)

Before you start, turn on Bluetooth on the computer AND on the phone, and keep the phone within two metres of the computer. Both devices need internet access.
On the computer, click "Sign in with a passkey", then choose "Use a phone or tablet" (the wording depends on the browser). A QR code appears.
Scan the QR code with the phone's camera app (not with WhatsApp or another app), then tap the link that appears.
Confirm on the phone with your face, fingerprint or passcode. The computer signs in a few seconds later.

Bluetooth carries no data: it only proves the phone is really next to the computer. Without it, scanning does nothing. On Windows, turn it on in Settings, then "Bluetooth & devices". Many desktop computers have no Bluetooth: in that case, create the passkey directly on the computer (Windows Hello), or use the email code.

Something not working?

I scanned the QR code with my phone and nothing happens.: It is almost always Bluetooth: it must be on, on both the computer and the phone, and the two must be close. If your computer has no Bluetooth, don't use the phone: create the passkey on the computer itself (Windows PIN), or simply sign in with a code received by email.
The window says no passkey is available.: The passkey was created on another device. Use that device, or the QR code with the phone that holds it. If you no longer have access, request an account recovery.
No window opens when I click.: Update your browser (recent Edge, Chrome, Safari or Firefox) and leave private browsing. If you use a password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane…), its window may appear instead of the system's: pick the passkey there, or close it to get back to the Windows or Apple window.
My work computer refuses Windows Hello.: Your IT department may have turned off Windows Hello. Use your phone instead (QR code, with Bluetooth), a USB security key, or ask them to allow it.
I changed computers or lost my phone.: A passkey saved in iCloud Keychain or your Google account comes back on a new device signed in to the same account. Otherwise, use your second passkey, or request a recovery: you will receive an email link to register a new passkey, active after a security delay.
I get "Your account accepts the passkey only" when I ask for a code.: You turned on "Accept the passkey only" in "My account": no code is sent. Sign in with the passkey, or request a recovery if you no longer have it.

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