Are passkeys becoming the default?

A subtle shift in the way users are presented with login options is turning into an unmistakable trend. Operating systems, browsers, and major web platforms are starting to treat passkeys as the preferred way to sign in. In some environments, the option to create or use a passkey now appears before a username or password field.

The rise of passkeys is a good thing for security. As a form of public key cryptography based on the FIDO Alliance's WebAuthn standard, passkeys reduce the risk of phishing and credential theft by being cryptographically bound to a specific website domain. They offer a modern, phishing-resistant, and user-friendly alternative to passwords.

At the same time, this shift introduces new operational questions for IT and security teams related to device management, recovery processes, and preventing credential sprawl across mixed personal and corporate environments.

This article explains what “default to passkeys” really means, why major platforms are moving in this direction, and what your organization should do to prepare. It also highlights how Bitwarden can help teams manage passkeys alongside existing authentication methods in a secure, consistent, and cross-platform way.

To understand the broader move toward passwordless strategies, read Passwordless authentication adoption: What adoption means to enterprises.

When platforms talk about “defaulting to passkeys,” they are not removing passwords overnight. Instead, they are reordering the choices presented to users and encouraging passkeys to become the primary method of passwordless authentication.

This shift is happening in three key layers:

1. Platform-level passkey to sign

Operating systems and browsers are beginning to present passkeys as the first option during sign-in. Users see prompts to create or use a passkey before any password field appears. Apple and Google already sync passkeys within their ecosystems, which makes this transition feel seamless for users. As this behavior becomes standard, more people will expect authentication to work this way across all devices and services.

2. App and website defaults

Websites and mobile apps are redesigning their login flows to prioritize passkeys. Account creation screens often encourage users to set up a passkey immediately. Returning visitors see a system dialog offering a stored passkey before any other method. This is the earliest stage of a broader shift that treats passkeys as the new normal and passwords as a fallback.

3. Enterprise authentication

Identity providers (IdPs) and single sign-on systems can prefer strong, phishing-resistant factors such as passkeys when enforcing multi-factor authentication or conditional access policies. Organizations are not required to disable passwords, but many are choosing to guide employees toward these more modern authentication methods whenever possible.

Bitwarden plays a crucial role by giving users and administrators a consistent way to store, use, and manage passkeys across devices and platforms. This prevents passkeys from becoming tied to a single ecosystem and helps organizations maintain control as authentication evolves.

Technology ecosystems are not waiting for broad industry consensus. They are already shifting users toward passkeys by making them easier to create, store, and use than passwords. Although each platform approaches this differently, the direction is the same: passkeys are becoming the preferred sign-in method across consumer and enterprise environments.

Apple has deeply integrated passkeys into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Safari prompts users to create or save a passkey automatically, and iCloud Keychain syncs them across Apple devices. For many users, this creates the expectation that authentication should be quick, consistent, and handled by the operating system.

However, for organizations, this raises questions about personal devices, Apple ID recovery, and the blending of consumer and corporate accounts. Bitwarden helps in this regard by giving teams a single, secure location to store passkeys that can be used across Apple and non-Apple environments.

Google has taken a similar approach with Chrome and Android. Passkey prompts appear during sign-in, and credentials can sync through a user’s Google account. Android users increasingly expect websites and apps to support passkeys without any additional setup.

Like Apple users, employees may use both personal and work profiles on the same device they carry to work. Bitwarden helps reduce fragmentation by consolidating passkeys that would otherwise be spread across multiple Google accounts and devices.

Microsoft is steering new accounts toward passwordless methods such as Windows Hello, Microsoft Authenticator, and passkeys. Windows now surfaces passkey options prominently in supported apps and browsers. Many organizations rely on Microsoft Entra ID for identity and access management, which aligns with the industry shift toward strong, phishing-resistant authentication.

For organizations with diverse user bases, relying solely on these native vendor ecosystems creates passkey sprawl and device lock-in. That’s where third-party credential managers such as Bitwarden help by providing unified, cross-platform access. Bitwarden integrates with these identity providers so teams can continue using their existing authentication infrastructure while managing passkeys and other credentials in a unified vault.

Modern browsers, including Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge, support passkeys as a first-class login method. Large consumer platforms such as Google services, Meta products, and several financial and retail sites have begun presenting passkey options before password fields. This accelerates user familiarity and increases the expectation that passkey support should exist everywhere.

Bitwarden also gives users a consistent way to access passkeys across different browsers and web services, which helps organizations manage the growing diversity of authentication methods.

Passkeys simplify sign-in and reduce common sources of friction. Users authenticate with built-in device methods such as biometrics or PINs, which removes the need to remember or type passwords. This improved experience can also lower helpdesk volume by reducing routine password reset requests. However, training still remains important, especially for helping users understand device-based authentication and how to recognize legitimate system prompts.

Passkeys provide strong phishing resistance and eliminate password-driven attacks such as credential stuffing and brute force attempts. They act as a high-assurance factor rooted in public key cryptography. While this improves security, organizations still need device controls, session management practices, and a clear understanding of where passkeys are stored across personal and corporate environments.

Authentication changes often require updates to documented policies and processes. Teams may need to revise onboarding procedures, MFA guidelines, and incident response playbooks to account for passkeys. Recovery procedures are especially important, because losing a device may also mean losing the primary authentication method. Audit and compliance teams will also want visibility into when passkeys are created, used, or revoked.

For more guidance on strengthening authentication and account-level controls, read the Bitwarden blog on security enhancements for user accounts.

As operating systems and browsers promote their own passkey managers, organizations risk seeing credentials scattered across multiple ecosystems. This creates gaps in visibility and complicates account recovery. A unified credential manager helps keep both passwords and passkeys in a single, secure vault and prevents vendor-specific lock-in.

For more on visibility into credential activity and authentication patterns, review the Bitwarden Access Intelligence overview. 

Passkeys are tied to devices and the accounts that manage them. BYOD environments can introduce complexity when personal Apple IDs or Google accounts hold work-related passkeys. Corporate-managed devices offer more control but require coordinated provisioning and offboarding. Some high-assurance or privileged scenarios may still require hardware security keys as fallback options.

A successful transition to passkeys works best when it is rolled out in phases. Organizations should evaluate their current authentication landscape, prepare their identity systems, guide users through enrollment, and establish clear recovery paths. This structured approach reduces friction and helps teams maintain visibility and control throughout the rollout.

Begin by inventorying the applications and systems your organization relies on, including internal services and external SaaS tools. Identify which ones already support passkeys and which rely on legacy authentication.

Target early adoption in areas where passkeys offer immediate security benefits, such as finance systems, HR portals, and applications frequently targeted by phishing. For internal applications that are not yet compatible, consider migration paths that include identity provider updates or integration through developer tools such as the Bitwarden Passwordless.dev SDK.

Most identity providers now support modern passkey standards. Work with your provider to enable these capabilities, confirm supported platforms, and update conditional access rules to prefer phishing-resistant factors where practical. This does not require organizations to remove passwords, but it ensures that stronger methods are available and encouraged.

Bitwarden integrates with identity providers so teams can keep their established SSO workflows while storing and managing passkeys, passwords, and other credentials in a unified vault.

Introduce passkeys in a series of controlled phases. Start with IT teams, then expand to early adopters before reaching the broader organization. Just-in-time prompts help users create passkeys at the moment they attempt to sign in. Provide concise guidance on how passkeys work, how they are stored, and what to expect when using them across devices.

For Bitwarden users, admins can share the following documentation on autofilling passkeys to help users understand how passkey-enabled login works across Bitwarden applications.

Recovery procedures are essential in a passkey-first environment. Documented helpdesk verification steps ensure that users who lose their primary device can regain access quickly and securely. For critical systems, maintain break-glass access options such as hardware security keys, which remain valuable in high-assurance or emergency scenarios.

A clear recovery strategy reduces confusion and prevents users from relying solely on consumer-focused recovery options provided by Apple, Google, or Microsoft.

For practical steps users can take when switching or replacing devices, refer to How to log in with another device.

Before deploying passkeys across the entire organization, begin with a controlled pilot. A small, technically experienced group can help surface friction points and uncover dependencies that may not be obvious in initial planning. Early feedback provides valuable insight into user expectations, device behavior, and application compatibility.

Monitor adoption rates, fallback usage, and support requests during the pilot by enabling detailed event logging in your credential management environment. Export these logs to your analytics or SIEM platform to support auditing, compliance, and long-term monitoring of authentication behavior. These metrics highlight where additional guidance or policy adjustments may be needed. Track authentication events to understand how often users rely on passkeys, which applications generate the most failures, and where legacy methods remain common.

This visibility is essential for refining training, updating policies, and maintaining compliance. Remember, the goal is to make sure that passkeys improve both security and user experience. Regular monitoring also helps organizations maintain control as authentication methods evolve and new devices join the environment.

As major platforms shift toward passkey-first authentication, organizations need a strategy that improves security without creating new operational gaps. Passkeys reduce exposure to phishing, eliminate password-driven attacks, and lead to more consistent sign-in experiences. The challenge is making sure those passkeys remain accessible, portable, and manageable across diverse devices and operating systems.

Bitwarden helps organizations meet this challenge by providing a unified vault for storing and using passkeys alongside passwords, notes, and other sensitive information. Teams can maintain their existing identity provider for sign-in while Bitwarden handles credential storage and user-level access. This reduces passkey sprawl, supports cross-platform access, and ensures that both modern and legacy authentication methods are managed in a consistent, encrypted environment.

With enterprise controls such as collections, provisioning, and organizational policies, Bitwarden gives administrators better visibility into how credentials are created, used, and shared. Support for developer tools like Passwordless.dev and advanced capabilities such as PRF-based vault unlock in supported browsers help organizations modernize authentication at a pace that fits their environment.

Adopting passkeys does not require abandoning your current workflows. Bitwarden provides a secure, flexible path toward a passwordless future while keeping your accounts, users, and authentication processes under centralized management.