Passkeys

A passkey lets you sign in with your fingerprint, your face, your device PIN or a security key, instead of waiting for an email link. It is quicker, and it cannot be stolen by a fake login page.

What is a passkey?

A passkey is a secure digital key saved on your device. When you sign in, your device proves it is you. The secret part of the key never leaves your device, so Renewly never holds anything an attacker could steal and reuse.

You can use a passkey with:

Touch ID or Face ID on a Mac, iPhone or iPad
Windows Hello (face, fingerprint or PIN) on a Windows computer
Fingerprint or face unlock on an Android phone
A hardware security key, such as a YubiKey

Passkeys are optional

You can always sign in with an email link, Google or Microsoft, even after you add a passkey. A passkey is an extra, faster way in.

Enrolling a passkey

"Enrolling" just means adding a passkey to your account.

Sign in to Renewly the usual way.
Go to Settings → Security.
In the Passkeys section, click Add a passkey.
In Name this passkey, type a name you will recognise, such as "Work laptop". Renewly suggests one for you.
Click Use Touch ID / device.
Your device asks you to confirm with your fingerprint, face, PIN or security key. Do that, and the passkey is added.

If you already have a passkey or an authenticator app, Renewly may first ask you to confirm it is you. You can add as many passkeys as you like. Most people add one for each device they use.

Passkeys can only be added on the live app at renewly.gg.

Name each passkey after its device. "Work laptop" is much easier to find than "My passkey" if you ever need to remove it.

Signing in with a passkey

Go to the sign-in page.
Under Passkey, click Sign in with a passkey.
Confirm with your fingerprint, face, PIN or security key.

The passkey option only appears if your browser supports passkeys. If you do not see it, sign in with an email link instead.

Passkeys and two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) means proving it is you in two ways. A passkey already does this on its own: you need the device that holds it, plus your fingerprint, face or PIN.

So when you sign in with a passkey, you are not asked for a code from your authenticator app as well. For sensitive actions, such as exporting data or changing your email address, Renewly may ask you to confirm with your passkey again.

If you also use an authenticator app, it still protects your email-link, Google and Microsoft sign-ins.

Managing passkeys

Your passkeys are listed in Settings → Security, in the Passkeys section. Each one shows:

the name you gave it
whether it is on a Device (such as a laptop or phone) or a Security key
Synced, if it is backed up to a service such as iCloud Keychain or Google Password Manager
when it was Last used

Renaming a passkey

Go to Settings → Security.
Find the passkey and click Rename.
Type the new name and click Save.

Removing a passkey

Go to Settings → Security.
Find the passkey and click Remove.
Confirm. Renewly may ask you to confirm it is you first, with another passkey or your authenticator code.

The passkey stops working for Renewly straight away. It may still be saved on your device. You can delete it there too, in your device's password or passkey settings.

Removing your only passkey

If a passkey is your only way of signing in, the list marks it Only sign-in method. You can still remove it. After that you sign in with an email link, so make sure you can open emails sent to your account address first.

Passkeys across devices

Some passkeys sync between your devices, and some stay on one device:

Apple devices - passkeys saved to iCloud Keychain are available on your other Apple devices signed in to the same Apple account.
Android devices - passkeys saved to Google Password Manager are available on your other Android devices.
Hardware security keys - work on any computer you plug the key into. They do not sync, but they go wherever the key goes.

Renewly shows Synced next to passkeys that are backed up. The simplest setup is one passkey on each device you use, each with a clear name.

Lost device or locked out

If you lose a device that held a passkey:

Go to the sign-in page and ask for a sign-in link by email.
Open the link to sign in.
Go to Settings → Security and remove the lost device's passkey. You confirm with another passkey or your authenticator code first.

If the lost device held your only passkey and you cannot remove it yourself, email support@renewly.gg for help. You never need to share a passkey or a code with us.

Browser support

Passkeys work in up-to-date versions of Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge. If your browser does not support them, the passkey option does not appear and Settings shows a message saying so. Sign in with an email link, Google or Microsoft instead.

For two-factor authentication, sessions and other security settings, see Account Settings - Security.