Passkeys can’t be forgotten, unlike passwords. Passkeys are bound to specific websites, so there’s no risk of their being used on a phishing site or being sent to a savvy scammer. And unlike passwords, they can’t be exposed if the site where you have an account has a data breach.

A passkey is, essentially, a digital key that “unlocks” your online account by securely logging you in without a password. In Tamora Pierce’s fantasy novel First Test, knight student Kel acquires a lock for her room that opens only when she speaks a magic word while turning an equally magical key. This is, in high-fantasy terms, a passkey: It works on only one door, it can’t be duplicated, and it works only when the owner allows it to do so with a magic word.