alt Hacker NewsPasskeys have a marketing problem where no one is able to describe simply what it is without having to use technical jargon. There's also the problem where each OS tries too hard in pushing this to the face of end-user
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> Passkeys are passwords your second device makes/types for you, without you ever seeing it.
My bigger problem with passkeys is how there's no universal way to register more than one device (in case the first one is lost).
Surely it's a pretty easy pitch to average Joe: Using a passkey takes the place of typing in a code they sent by text or email.
That's a pain point in everyone's day that should make the benefit easy to understand.
Imagine a password, but it a) types itself for you and b) detects when it's being sent to an impostor site and blocks them from seeing itself, so it can't be phished.
Tada, passkeys.
It's a key, what else do non-technical people need to know?
Ironically on macOS we used to have an app called Keychain which unfortunately was effectively renamed to Passwords for non-technical users.
That's the main thing I wish was done better. There was barely any actual lead up from the perspective of an average person. Just a new unfamiliar flow on half of the login screens that they use.
Sure, its explained. But not in a satisfactory way that would reach all users at their level.
This is a bit of an exaggeration and out of proportion, but I think my ideal would be one of the big tech companies should have bought out something like a super bowl ad. Something that actually conveys the idea "hey, we know you've used passwords since you were able to type on a keyboard, but here's new technology that's better and here's why" in plain language that the average person can understand.
Unfortunately, XKCD 2501 continues to be relevant. [1]
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I tell people a website is like a payment terminal. Your device is like your debit card. A password is like a PIN on the card. A Passkey is like a chip on the card.
Logging into a site with your device is like putting your card into the terminal. The site can ask for a password the way the terminal asks for a PIN, but if your device supports Passkeys, that’s like your card having a chip, and it’ll use that instead.
So think of Passkeys like using a chip card.
I dunno how well this analogy works down to the last detail but it has gotten it across to all the parents I’ve used it with