"Sign in with Passkey" an option for Apple ID, but I cannot see how to enable it?

Please, do not bring more confusion with useless longreads - read the question and thread attentively.

The question is "how to CREATE passkey for Apple ID/iCloud specifically"!

The confusing thing is that it is mentioned directly there that it is possible:

You might also be able to sign in to any Apple website using a passkey. Enter your Apple ID (or an email address or phone number that you use with Apple services), then select "Sign in with Passkey" from the sign-in screen. Follow the onscreen instructions to use your iPhone or iPad to sign in using a passkey. To sign in using a passkey, you need a supported web browser, Bluetooth enabled on the device that you're browsing on and your iPhone or iPad, and iCloud Keychain enabled on your iPhone or iPad.

But there is no info how to create that passkey!

Short answer: It 'just works' if you're running newer iOS, macOS and you don't have to create a passkey consciously.

Definitely confusing messaging. It looks like iOS 17 at some point might have created a passkey for my AppleID account automatically. I just scanned the QR code from my phone (iOS 17.2.1) that pops up when you select the option to sign in with a passkey (on my MacBook Pro in Chrome) and after a Face ID scan, it logged me in on the MBP.

A side effect of Apple's implementation is that you can't back up your passkey info to 1Password. You will need a phone running at least iOS 17. You can't even use macOS Sonoma on a device with Touch ID to verify your passkey. You can log in under macOS with passkey, but you (currently) need an iOS device to verify your passkey.

That seems to pretty much sum things up. I've created about 20 passkeys this week to replace various passwords, and so far creating one for my Apple ID has proved impossible.

So to clarify: this doesn't work if you use a browser other than Safari on macOS and it doesn't work if you use 1Password to manage your passkeys. Is that the gist of it?

I just found out how to enable this. On iPhone, Go to Settings > Passwords, and under Use passwords and Passkeys from: make sure to check iCloud Passwords & Keychain.

I am also use Dashlane and it was the only one that was checked. After I checked iCloud Passwords, I am able to use passkey to signin to apple.com.

Yeah, seems like they treat the passkey for your iCloud account as a special situation, where it’s stored somewhere else on-device and not available to third-party password managers or even viewable in Apple’s own passwords manager in the Settings app.

I had this same problem and found a partial solution. I'm using Chrome an my Mac and the "Sign in with Passkey" option was showing up, but when I clicked on it a message was shown saying that this device didn't have a passkey for that site. I noticed that I could successfully use Passkey on my iPhone, though. I poked around is the Mac System Preferences and eventually found under "Privacy & Security" -> "Passkeys Access for Web Browsers" there is a toggle to allow this for Google Chrome. I turned that on and restarted Chrome, and then when I tried to use Passkey it showed a QR Code, which when I scanned with my iPhone it logged me in.

What is still not clear to me is, is there anyway to not require the iPhone for this and just use Passkey directly on my Mac in Chrome? I noticed that if I use Safari on my Mac then it prompts me to use TouchID and I don't need to use my iPhone, but I don't know if I can make that work in Chrome.

hmmm. Interesting. I just signed out of my computer, re-started, and logged back in. Cleared the history in Safari, and tried logging in to appleid.apple.com and got a different option, which offers to login using a passkey. What is strange is that the ability to manage the passkey does not show up in the Passwords pane in the settings app on either my iMac or my iPhone, unlike the passkeys for other sites and apps. (like Google.)

like shumway88 I do not see any option to create or manage passkeys for my AppleID. I do see the option for my Google accounts and I set those up several months ago when Google first added support for passkeys. I do see that I can login to iCloud.com and other apple sites using a fingerprint on my touchID enabled iMac, but this is not a passkey -- it's a biometric shortcut for entering the password. I'm running the latest operating system on the iMac and on my iPhone, but the ability to add or manage a passkey is not available for my AppleID or iCloud accounts on either device.

For the love of all people. I think I figured it out. When you scan the QR code you DO NOT use a QR reader. You simply point your camera at the QR code. I don't recall seeing this anywhere in the instructions. Maybe I missed it.

I have the same issue. When signed in to Apple ID I do not have the option to create a Passkey under the Sign-in and Security section.

Did this get resolved?

Or is apple rolling out passkey setup for Apple ID by location?

I am in Australia and usually these types of features are rolled out very early here?

Thanks for posting in the Apple Support Communities shumway88,

The following page information will get you started on how to Use passkeys to sign in to apps and websites on iPhone.

You can create and save passkeys to replace the passwords you use to sign in to supported apps and websites on your iPhone.

Passkeys are more secure than passwords, because they’re uniquely generated for every account by your own device, and are less vulnerable to phishing. And they work on all your devices that are signed in to the same Apple ID.

Like passwords, passkeys are encrypted and stored in your iCloud Keychain, where they aren’t visible to anyone (including Apple).

Note: To use passkeys, iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13, or tvOS 16 (or later) is required. iCloud Keychain and two-factor authentication must also be turned on.

Create and save a passkey using your iPhone

You can create and save passkeys for apps and websites that support them.

Note: The instructions for creating and saving a passkey can vary depending on the app, website, or browser, but they typically consist of steps similar to the ones below.

1: On your iPhone, go to the sign-in screen for a supported website or app and do one of the following:

* If you’re setting up a new account: Tap the button or link for setting up new accounts, then follow the onscreen instructions.

* If you already have an existing account: Sign in with your account name and password, then go to the account settings or management screen.

2: When you see the option to save a passkey for the account, tap Continue.

3: Your passkey is saved.

4: Note: If you don’t see a passkey option, it means the app or website doesn’t currently support passkeys.

The passkeys you create are stored on your iPhone at Settings > Passwords.

You can have a passkey and password for the same app or website, and find them both under the same account in Settings > Passwords.

You can also save a passkey to a hardware security key. Tap “Other options,” “Save on another device,” or similar (if available), then follow the onscreen instructions for saving a passkey. See Use security keys to sign in to your Apple ID account on iPhone.

Use a passkey to sign in to a website or app on your iPhone

After you create and save a passkey for a website or app, you can use the passkey whenever you sign in.

Note: The instructions for signing in with a passkey can vary depending on the app, website, or browser, but they typically consist of steps similar to the ones below.

1. On your iPhone, go to the website or app and tap the account name field on the sign-in screen.

2. Tap the suggested account name that appears at the bottom of the screen or near the top of the keyboard. If the account name doesn’t appear, or you want to use a different one, enter it.

3. Use Face ID or Touch ID to complete sign in. If you didn’t set up Face ID or Touch ID on your iPhone, enter your device passcode (the code you use to unlock your iPhone).

4. The passkey you saved completes the sign-in automatically.

Use a passkey saved on your iPhone to sign in on another device

If you’re using a device not associated with your Apple ID (such as a computer at a public library, an internet cafe, or a friend’s house), and you have your iPhone with you, you can sign in to apps or websites on that device using the passkeys you created for them.

Note: The instructions for using a passkey on another device can vary depending on the app, website, or browser, but they typically consist of steps similar to the ones below.

1. On the other device, go to the website or app and enter your user name in the account name field on the sign-in screen.

2. Select “Other options,” “Passkey from nearby device,” or similar, then follow the onscreen instructions to display a QR code on the screen.

3. Use your iPhone camera to scan the QR code.

4. The passkey that’s saved to iCloud Keychain completes the sign-in automatically.

Create a passkey on a device that’s not your own

If you have your iPhone with you, you can create a passkey while using a device not associated with your Apple ID (such as a computer at a public library, an internet cafe, or a friend’s house) and save it to iCloud Keychain instead of the device you’re using to create the passkey.

Note: The instructions for creating a passkey can vary depending on the app, website, or browser, but they typically consist of steps similar to the ones below.

1. On the other device, go to the sign-in page for a supported website or app, then do one of the following:

* If you’re setting up a new account: Tap the button or link for setting up new accounts, then enter a new username.

* If you already have an account: Sign in with your account name and password, then go to the account settings or management screen.

4. When you see the option to save a passkey for the account, select “Other options,” “Save on another device,” or similar (instead of Continue).

5. Note: If you don’t see a passkey option, it means the app or website doesn’t currently support passkeys.

6. Select “Save a passkey on a device with a camera,” or similar, then follow the onscreen instructions to display a QR code on the screen.

7. Use your iPhone camera to scan the QR code.

8. The passkey is saved to your iPhone and iCloud Keychain.

Change a passkey

You might need to create a new passkey to replace the existing one (if, for example, you previously shared it with someone to whom you no longer want to give access).

To change a passkey, follow the steps for an existing account in Create and save a passkey using your iPhone or Create a passkey on a device that’s not your own.

Delete a passkey

1. Go to Settings  > Passwords, then tap the account for the passkey you want to delete.

2. Tap Delete Passkey.

If you delete a passkey, you can create a new one at any time.

We hope this helps!

I feel everyone's frustration. Here is my scenario. I have an iphone 12 ProMax running 17.3.1. I have quadruple checked every setting and everything is turned on to use Passkeys. I on my Windows AMD desktop running Windows 11. When I navigate to icloud.com using Chrome I see an option to Sign In With Passkey. It displays a QR code. When I scan the QR code with my QR reader it takes me to a google search result for FIDO and a giant long number. I have been here for 2 hours+ trying to decipher what is going wrong. I have the password for iCloud.com saved in my phone in the passwords settings. No clue what to do next.

Hey shumway88,

This section shows you how to sign into an Apple website using a Passkey - Sign in with your Apple ID - Apple Support:

Sign in on the web

Use your Apple ID to sign in to Apple websites.

* iCloud.com - Use iCloud from anywhere by signing in to iCloud.com with your Apple ID.

* Apple Account - Manage your Apple ID by signing in to appleid.apple.com with your Apple ID.

If you're already signed in to your device with your Apple ID and your device has Touch ID or Face ID, you can use it to sign in to iCloud.com or appleid.apple.com.

You might also be able to sign in to any Apple website using a passkey. Enter your Apple ID (or an email address or phone number that you use with Apple services), then select "Sign in with Passkey" from the sign-in screen. Follow the onscreen instructions to use your iPhone or iPad to sign in using a passkey.

To sign in using a passkey, you need a supported web browser, Bluetooth enabled on the device that you're browsing on and your iPhone or iPad, and iCloud Keychain enabled on your iPhone or iPad.

Feel free to get back to us with any questions or problems you may have.

All the best.