Experts have been predicting the end of passwords for years. In 2026, it really feels like we’re getting close. Passkeys, biometrics, hardware security keys and device-bound logins have moved out of the lab and into everyday use. Big names like Google, Apple and Microsoft are making passwordless the new normal. But are we completely there yet? Let’s take a look at where things stand today, how widely these methods are used, their real advantages and drawbacks, and what’s still slowing things down.
1. Where Passwordless Stands in Early 2026
Things have moved quickly over the past year and a half. Google says more than a billion passkeys were created by the end of 2025. Apple’s iCloud Keychain now works with passkeys across over 1.8 billion active devices. Microsoft reports that around 40% of enterprise logins through Azure AD and Entra ID no longer need passwords. PayPal, eBay, Best Buy, Shopify, GitHub and many other services added passkey support throughout 2025.
Regular users are starting to catch on too. Recent surveys show about 35% of people in the US and Europe have tried a passkey or biometric login at least once in the last six months.
2. How Passwordless Actually Works Today
Passkeys (FIDO2 and WebAuthn)
Passkeys use a pair of cryptographic keys. The private key stays safely on your device and is protected by biometrics or a PIN. The public key gets registered with the website. When you log in, your device simply proves it holds the private key. Because the key is tied to the exact domain, phishing attacks don’t work.
Other passwordless options
Besides passkeys, you still see biometrics alone (Face ID, Touch ID, Windows Hello), hardware keys (like YubiKey or Google Titan), magic links sent by email, or device-bound tokens such as Sign in with Apple. Some of these are less secure than passkeys, but they all help move away from typed passwords.
3. Pros and Cons Compared to Passwords + 2FA
Here’s a quick side-by-side look at how traditional passwords with strong two-factor authentication stack up against passwordless methods like passkeys in 2026.
| Aspect | Passwords + Strong 2FA | Passwordless (Passkeys) |
|---|---|---|
| Phishing resistance | Medium to high, depending on the 2FA type | Very high because the key is domain-bound |
| Credential stuffing risk | Medium if passwords are reused | Very low since there’s no shared secret |
| Speed and convenience | Medium, you have to type a password and a code | Excellent, just a quick biometric tap or PIN |
| Recovery if you lose your device | Medium with backup codes or recovery email | Medium to good with synced passkeys and backup keys |
| Cross-platform support | Excellent | Good and improving quickly |
| Adoption in 2026 | Still universal | Around 40 to 60% of major services |
4. Major Platforms Supporting Passwordless Today
Here are some of the biggest names that already let you go passwordless:
- Google offers full passkey support across Android, Chrome, Gmail and YouTube
- Apple has passkeys built into iCloud Keychain on iPhone, iPad and Mac
- Microsoft supports Windows Hello and passkeys in Edge, Office 365 and Xbox
- PayPal, eBay and Amazon let you log in with passkeys
- GitHub, GitLab and Atlassian have full support in their developer tools
- Password managers like 1Password and Bitwarden can store and sync passkeys
5. What’s Still Holding Passwordless Back?
A few things are slowing full adoption. Many older enterprise systems and government portals don’t support passkeys yet. Older versions of Android and iOS can cause compatibility headaches. Shared or family devices make recovery trickier. And plenty of people still don’t know what passkeys are or how they work.
6. Your 2026 Passwordless Action Plan
Here’s what you can do right now to get started:
- Turn on passkeys for your Google, Apple ID and Microsoft accounts today
- Switch to passkey login on PayPal, GitHub or any other service that offers it
- Pick up a hardware backup key for $25 to $60 and register it on your important accounts
- Use a password manager that handles passkeys, like Bitwarden or 1Password
- Keep strong passwords with TOTP two-factor authentication for sites that don’t support passkeys yet
- Show family and friends how quick and secure passkeys feel in real life
Conclusion: We’re Closer Than Ever, But Not Quite There
Early 2026 is an exciting time. Passwordless isn’t everywhere yet, but it’s no longer just a nice idea. For anyone with a modern phone or computer, passkeys are already faster, safer and more convenient than typing passwords and codes on supported services.
The big shift is coming fast, probably between 2027 and 2028 for most people. Until then, the smartest thing to do is enable passkeys everywhere they’re offered and stick with solid passwords and two-factor authentication on everything else.
The days of typing “P@ssw0rd123” really are coming to an end. And honestly, it’s about time.