Should your SaaS product drop passwords? Not yet, but it should offer passkey authentication now and make it the default for new users. Passkeys replace passwords with something people already do dozens of times a day: unlocking their phone with a fingerprint, face or PIN.

In 2026 passkeys are mainstream, and US federal guidance on passwords has changed to match. This guide covers how passkeys work, NIST's new rules, a three-phase rollout and safe account recovery.

What is a passkey and how does passkey authentication work?

Passwords get reused, phished and forgotten, which makes them the weakest part of most products.…