Dashlane is introducing a new feature to replace your passwords with a new passwordless system — but unlike its competitors, it isn’t opting for passkeys.
While there isn’t a set date it’s going to be released, with the new system in place, users will be able to log in to their Dashlane accounts using biometric logins or a PIN code they create. The goal is to bypass the problems that arise with traditional passwords — they’re easy to steal and can be even harder to remember. By opting for biometric logins or simple PIN codes, users are no longer at risk of being locked out of Dashlane just because they forgot their password.
Dashlane opted against using a passkey system for its main login (a passkey system is a fully passwordless authentication system using cryptographic keys), bringing up several concerns with using them, namely, that the technology isn’t ready to support a full transition yet.
Dashlane already has limited passkey support. You can only store other sites’ passkeys using Dashlane, but you can’t currently secure your Dashlane account itself with one.
That said, the new system also uses cryptographic keys (the encryption process used with passkeys), so the foundation of a passwordless system has been laid, though there’s still a lot of work to be done. This update comes as various Dashlane competitors (including LastPass and 1Password) are working on their own versions of passwordless systems.
John Bennett, CEO of Dashlane, spoke about the decision in an interview and explained that the biggest problem with passkeys is that they mostly only exist inside of their specific ecosystem. Meaning, a password stored inside of the Google ecosystem won’t be usable in the Apple ecosystem and vice versa — this presents a major headache for full passkey implementation.
While the new system is being developed and is highly technical, all users need to know is that the new passwordless login feature will allow you to log in to the Dashlane app using your phone’s fingerprint reader or FaceID — you can also scan a QR code using your camera to log in.