Microsoft, Apple, Google and even the password manager LastPass are gradually getting rid of passwords. You can find out here what this is all about and what users can expect now.
The business of password managers is not too complicated: Almost everyone struggles with too many user accounts and the attached passwords, the password manager is a secure memory and filling aid.
But what do you think of it when you rave about a world without passwords with the well-known password manager LastPass?
Now it has to be said that the idea of abolishing passwords is not really new. But everyone can probably report from everyday life that passwords are used everywhere. What LastPass currently has is unlocking the password manager without entering a Master Password. Instead, the LastPass Authenticator app is used.
Not really without a password
Firstly, unlocking the password manager without entering a password is not really new and secondly, it does not completely eliminate passwords. It’s standard on cell phones: most password managers accept fingerprint or face recognition unlocking after setup.
The same applies to many clients that use Windows Hello under Windows, for example. The free version of Bitwarden, for example, can also use Windows Hello. You then no longer have to type in the master password, face recognition or fingerprint are sufficient, then the password safe opens.
Once opened, you can access the saved passwords and, in many cases, use them automatically. So you don’t have to type or copy anything anymore.
This saves you having to deal with passwords, but passwords are not abolished as a result – you as the user do not have any control over that. If providers insist on a password, you can only log in with a password.
Apple, Google and Microsoft want to abolish passwords
What could lead to a truly password-free future are the current efforts by tech giants Apple, Google, and Microsoft. They want to support registrations using the FIDO2 standard. Apple introduces support for passkeys in iOS 16, for example.
So that users have to worry about as little as possible and the login data are available across devices, they should be synchronized via the provider’s clouds.
Data protection-sensitive users should get a headache here, especially because end-to-end encryption is not mandatory.
Windows login without password
Anyone can try out what passwordless login looks like in practice when they log in to Windows. However, this requires you to log in with a Microsoft account. In addition, the Microsoft Authenticator is needed on the smartphone.
In the Microsoft account settings, click on the “Security” area. There you will find the option “Passwordless account”. Click on “Activate” there. In order for this to work, you must first have connected the authenticator app to the account.
The login to Windows then works via smartphone. The authenticator app sends a push notification that you allow with a tap of your finger.