Create a Google passkey only on a device you personally control and can keep protected. The passkey uses that device or credential manager to prove your identity; it is not another password you should copy into a document.
Prepare the device
Check Google’s current operating-system and browser requirements, install supported updates, and enable a screen lock. For supported Apple devices, Google’s guide identifies iCloud Keychain as a requirement for the relevant passkey setup.
Do not create a passkey on a borrowed computer or a shared unlocked device. Google warns that somebody able to unlock a device holding your passkey may be able to access the account even after an ordinary sign-out.
Create the passkey in the correct account
- Open the passkey settings linked from Google’s official guide, or go to myaccount.google.com/signinoptions/passkeys.
- Check the complete Google Account address.
- Select Create a passkey.
- Follow the browser and operating system’s instructions.
- Unlock the intended device when requested and complete setup.
Read which device or credential manager will store the passkey. If the flow offers another device or a hardware key, do not select it unless that is where you intend the credential to reside.
Check the saved result
Return to the account’s passkey list and identify the new entry. Keep another working sign-in or recovery method. Google says adding a passkey does not remove the authentication and recovery factors already on the account.
A newly created passkey may need a trust period before it is available for sign-in. Follow the status shown; setup completing is not a guarantee of immediate use for every sensitive action.
Understand the sign-in preference
Google normally enables a passkey-first experience when you create one. If you prefer a password first, review Skip password when possible in the account’s security settings.
A work or school administrator can control whether a passkey alone is sufficient. Check that policy rather than assuming the personal-account experience applies. Before selling or sharing the device later, review and remove its account access and passkeys using the appropriate instructions.
Browse Gmail & Google Account help
References
- Sign in with a passkey instead of a password
- Manage at-risk or new sign-in methods on your Google Account
Reviewed against the linked official and developer guidance on October 27, 2026. Available options and screen labels can vary by account, device, region, and organization policy.