About Passkeys and Android

Android updates can sometimes lead to issues with passkeys, including them seemingly “disappearing” or becoming inaccessible. While passkeys are designed to be securely backed up and synced through your Google Password Manager, users have reported various problems after updates.

Passkeys on Android devices are generally stored in your Google Password Manager. This means they are designed to be securely backed up and synced across your Android devices when you’re signed in with the same Google Account.

Several reports indicate that Android updates (even to Android 14) can cause problems with passkeys. These issues can include:

• Passkeys not being found/recognized: Users have reported their devices failing to find passkeys, or existing passkeys no longer working.
• Inability to create new passkeys: Some users have found themselves unable to create new passkeys after an update.
• Specific app/service issues: While Android supports passkeys, the specific application or service you’re trying to use might have its own compatibility issues with certain Android versions or after an update.
• Sync Passphrase in Chrome: For some users, resetting their Chrome sync encryption passphrase has helped, although this signs you out of all synced devices and clears data from Google’s servers.
• Device-specific issues: There are mentions of some issues being specific to certain Android devices (e.g., Samsung phones after a One UI update) or even relying on Google services that might be slow.
• Reinstalling password manager: For third-party password managers, uninstalling and reinstalling them, and then re-enabling them as the preferred autofill service, has been suggested.
• Contacting support: Contacting the support for the service you’re trying to sign into is often necessary when these issues arise.

Potential causes/solutions:

• Google Play System Update: Ensuring your “Google Play system update” and “Security Update” are complete in device settings can sometimes resolve issues.
• Multiple Google Accounts: Having multiple Google accounts logged in on older versions of Google Play Services can sometimes cause problems.

In some specific situations, it’s highly plausible that the “last update” on an Android device might have indeed “nuked the passkeys required” or at least made them temporarily inaccessible, leading to disaster. It highlights the ongoing challenges with new technologies like passkeys and ensuring smooth compatibility across different systems and updates.