Verified source report
Readers reply: Experts say we should use passkeys, but can a smartphone pin really be safer than a password?
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts This week’s question: Is ‘ripen at home’ fruit the supermarkets’ idea of a joke? I’ve been struggling to get my head around the idea that a passkey, which can be a pin on your phone, or facial recognition, can be safer than using a complicated password and two-factor authentication. I get that having something unique to your device, not stored on a company’s server, is unphishable and less hackable by cybercrims, but what if your phone is nicked and someone guesses the password? And what if you lose your phone? Continue reading...
What happened
According to The Guardian’s source item, Readers reply: Experts say we should use passkeys, but can a smartphone pin really be safer than a password?, The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts This week’s question: Is ‘ripen at home’ fruit the supermarkets’ idea of a joke? I’ve been struggling to get my head around the idea that a passkey, which can be a pin on your phone, or facial recognition, can be safer than using a complicated password and two-factor authentication. I get that having something unique to your device, not stored on a company’s server, is unphishable and less hackable by cybercrims, but what if your phone is nicked and someone guesses the password? And what if you lose your phone? Continue reading…
Context
The development sits in VINI’s Technology file for readers following technology, science, product policy, markets, infrastructure, and the public consequences of innovation. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The source item is dated 2026-06-14T13:00:45+00:00.
What to watch
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Source
Primary source: Readers reply: Experts say we should use passkeys, but can a smartphone pin really be safer than a password? via The Guardian. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.
This source-cited VINI report links to the original publisher record. VINI does not republish third-party article bodies without rights clearance. 1 source listed.
Source links
- Readers reply: Experts say we should use passkeys, but can a smartphone pin really be safer than a password?The Guardian - 2026-06-14T13:00:45+00:00
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