Bitwarden launches passkey management

Passkeys are a secure, safe method to login to websites without a password, bringing together convenience and security. Today Bitwarden Password Manager users create, manage, and store passkeys in their vaults for fast passwordless logins to passkey-enabled websites.

Every Bitwarden Password Manager user, including free users, can manage passkeys in their Bitwarden vault. Creating and utilizing passkeys is accomplished with the Bitwarden web extensions. To see how this works, view the demo below:

1. Visit the site that supports passkeys and initiate the passkey creation process.

Sometimes, as shown in the demo, the site will require that you create a traditional username and password first as a backup - this will become less and less common as websites deploy more robust implementations of passkeys.

2. Bitwarden will recognize that the website is looking to create a passkey. The Bitwarden extension will ask you which vault item to add it to or to create a new one. Choose, and Save passkey.

And just like that, a passkey can be added to your vault and easily retrieved for a secure passwordless login.

The passkeys that are created are synchronized passkeys. These passkeys never leave your device during the login process, but are encrypted in your vault which is securely synced to your other devices. This is both convenient and secure.

Learn more and view a step-by-step guide in the Bitwarden Help Center.

Additional support and functionality for passkey management in Bitwarden is planned, including for mobile apps.

As a cryptographic method to verify your identity, passkeys are naturally significantly stronger than passwords. Comprising both a public and private component, passkeys leverage WebAuthn cryptographic protocols developed by the FIDO Alliance, a consortium of technology leaders, that are tested and trusted.

Passkeys are:

Impossible to guess - passkeys are much longer than passwords and machine generated. Trying to guess a passkey would literally take eons.

Resistant to phishing - they can only be used on the website that they’re made for, so a fake website can’t try to trick a user into giving it away.

Immune to data breaches - passkeys are made up of a public key and a private key that work together to log you in. If the public key that a website stores is leaked, your account is still safe because the private key is secure on your device.

And importantly, passkeys are easy to use! Learn more: How do passkeys work?

Passkeys are being implemented across the web, with each website and passkey provider pioneering new features while working to closely adhere to evolving industry standards. In this exciting phase of passkey adoption, there will certainly be improvements needed as everyone works together to build a world of passwordless authentication.

Bitwarden is at the forefront of these works-in-progress. One example is the development of an open and secure standard for passkey portability. Collaborating with other passkey providers, Bitwarden is working towards a standard that ensures users can effortlessly and securely transfer their passkeys, whether for backup purposes or when changing passkey providers.

Believing that everyone should have access to the tools they need to stay safe online, Bitwarden is adding passkey support to all plans, including free, to bring the most complete password manager to all.

• Passkey management, now available, is included in all Bitwarden Password Manager plans

• Earlier, Bitwarden announced that everyone can now use passkeys as a form of 2FA to add more security to accounts

• Developers can add passkey functionality to their websites for free for up to 10,000 users with the Bitwarden Passwordless.dev passkey SDK, which makes it easy to deploy passkey authentication with just a few lines of code

• And soon users will be able to log into the Bitwarden web app using a passkey, and will be available to everyone

Thank you for being a member of the Bitwarden community on this exhilarating journey!

If you have more questions, view the passkey FAQ or reach out to the Bitwarden community. If you’re interested in trying Bitwarden today, sign up for a free plan or a business trial today!