Sign in using passkey
What is a passkey
Passkey is based on the FIDO multi-device credentials technology and essentially aims to replace traditional passwords altogether. At Zoho, we've also implemented this technology and offer you the option to secure your account using a passkey.
A passkey is a WebAuthn credential that is an alternative for password. It uses biometric (such as fingerprint) or device-based authentication (such as PIN, password) to sign in to your account. Your devices that support FIDO2 will generate a unique passkey, store it securely on your device, and use it to sign in to your account.
A passkey is a WebAuthn credential that is an alternative for password. It uses biometric (such as fingerprint) or device-based authentication (such as PIN, password) to sign in to your account. Your devices that support FIDO2 will generate a unique passkey, store it securely on your device, and use it to sign in to your account.
Since the passkey uses biometric or device-based authentication to verify your identity, you don't have to remember anything or worry about phishing scams or stolen passwords and avoiding the reuse of passwords.
Hence, one must physically have the device (where the passkey is stored), and know the device's screen lock to unlock the passkey to sign in. This eliminates the requirement for 2FA or MFA as passkey itself acts as both.
Both Passkey and Zoho OneAuth passwordless sign- acts as 2FA or MFA, eliminating the need for them and allowing seamless sign-in experience.
How passkey works
To use a passkey to sign in to Zoho, you will need to first generate a passkey for your Zoho account from Zoho OneAuth or from accounts.zoho.com. The generated passkey will be stored and synced on your device.
On Apple devices, it will be stored & synced using the Apple ID's iCloud Keychain
. On Android devices, it will be stored in Google Password Manager 
, and for Windows using your Microsoft account.
On Apple devices, it will be stored & synced using the Apple ID's iCloud Keychain
Info: If you're using multiple Apple devices, the generated passkey will be synced with all your Apple devices (MacOS, iOS. & iPadOS) using your Apple ID, allowing you to sign in using passkey on all devices. For example, consider you've an iPhone and a MacBook signed-in with the same AppleID. If you generate passkey from your iPhone, it will be synced with your MacBooks as well and vice versa.
Similarly, for android devices, the passkey will be synced across your android devices which uses the same Google account, and for windows devices the passkey will be synced across your windows devices which uses the same Microsoft account.
Passkey Works On
Passkeys should be supported on both the device/OS and browsers. You can find the list of OS and browsers, along with versions that support passkeys below.
Supported OS
OS | Could Sync (Use same Passkey across devices) | Local browser only (Passkey is specific to the device's browser) | External device (Separate Mobile devices will be used for Passkey) |
MacOS (14 or later) iOS & iPadOS (16 or later) | ✅ (using iCloud) | ✅ | ✅ |
Chrome OS | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Android (9 or later) | ✅ (using Google Password Manager) | ❌ | ✅ |
Windows | ✅ (using Microsoft account) | ❌ | ✅ |
Applies On:
- Apple devices with iOS, iPadOS 16 or later, & MacOs 14 or later.
- Android devices with Android version 9 or later.
- Windows devices with Windows 10 1809 onwards or Windows 11 23H2 onwards.
Supported Browsers
Browsers (Desktop) | Versions |
108 and above | |
16.1 and above | |
108 and above | |
122 and above | |
97 and above |
By default, you'll be prompted with the iCloud sync option in Apple devices; in cases like the opera browser, you will be given the option to use either the local browser or external mobile device as it doesn't support iCloud sync.
How to set up passkey
Set up from Web (accounts.zoho.com)
Requirements:
- Bluetooth and Internet must be turned ON in both devices.
- Screen lock must be enabled on your mobile device.
- On Apple devices, Apple ID Keychain must be enabled. Step to enable
- Android or iOS device is required to set up on Windows.
Steps to set up passkey:
Apple devices
- Sign in at accounts.zoho.com.
- Click Multi-Factor Authentication in the left menu.
- Click Set up Now under Passkey.
- Enter a name for passkey to identify it, then click Next.
- You'll be prompted to set up using Apple cloud by default. You can also use the browser only (Your chrome profile) or external device (like phone or tablet) for setting up passkey (refer below image). Your touch ID or face ID will be used depending on the device you use to set up the passkey.
(These options will be similar in other supported browsers. Except opera as it doesn't support iCloud keychain, Opera only supports external device and browser only.)
Windows devices
- Sign in at accounts.zoho.com.
- Click Multi-Factor Authentication in the left menu.
- Click Set up Now under Passkey.
- Enter a name for passkey to identify it, then click Next.
- You'll be prompted with the same windows device as well as external devices. (refer to below images). You can use The Windows device option which will use your microsoft account to keep your passkey synced across your windows devices or you can also use external devices to set up the passkey.
(on Windows 10)
(Windows 11) - Selecting The Windows device will use your device's lock to set up the passkey.
- Or select iPhone, iPad, or Android device & use mobile device based on your preference.
- Scan the QR code using your mobile device's camera.
- Your device will prompt you with a setup flow. Follow the instructions to generate passkey.
If you encounter any issues while setting up the Passkey, please make sure your OS and browsers are up to date and try again or use different method.
Set up from Zoho OneAuth
Supported devices:
- Apple devices with iOS 16 or later, iPadOS 16 or later, macOS Ventura.
Requirements:
- The internet must be turned ON.
- Screen lock must be enabled.
- Apple ID Keychain must be enabled. Step to enable
Steps to set up passkey using OneAuth:
iOS devices
- Open Zoho OneAuth on your mobile device.
- Make sure your Zoho account is signed-in.
- Go to Settings tab, then tap Account Settings.
- Tap Passkey.
- Tap Set Passkey.
- Your device will prompt you with a setup flow. Follow the instructions to generate passkey.
Android devices
- Open Zoho OneAuth on your mobile device.
- Make sure your Zoho account is signed-in.
- Go to Settings tab, then tap Account Settings.
- Under MFA SETTINGS tap Passkey.
- Tap Tap Passkey and your passkey will be set using your device lock.
- You can delete the passkey in the same page, if you want to.
How to sign in using passkey
Note: If you're unable to sign in using passkey (or) don't have access to a passkey-synced device, you can use your other sign-in options.Sign in on a device where passkey is synced
- Go to the Zoho sign-in page.
- Enter your username, then click Next.
- When prompted, verify using your device's screen lock. Once verified, you will be signed in.
Sign in on device where passkey is not synced
- Make sure Bluetooth is enabled both on the mobile device where the passkey is synced, and on the device where you're signing in.
- Go to the Zoho sign-in page.
- Enter your username, then click Next.
- A prompt will appear how you want to authenticate. Select the option Passkey from nearby device/A different device.
- Scan the QR code using your mobile device's camera.
- When prompted, verify using your device's screen lock. Once verified, you will be signed in.
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