Google has been trying to make it easier for people to secure their accounts for years. The company is one of many pushing to move to passkeys from passwords, and has also sold physical keys to open accounts that support FIDO standards. Today, Google has Has updated its lineup of Titan security switches With some features that will make it work better with passkeys and passwords as well.
As before, Google offers two Titan Switches, one with a USB-C port and the other with a USB-A port. Both keys still support NFC so they can be used to open accounts on compatible smartphones as well as through the physical port. The new key supports the FIDO2 specification for passwordless login and can store up to 250 passkeys.
Google is using this as an opportunity to push people toward using passkeys to protect their Google Account — as part of the setup process, you’ll be encouraged to create a passkey and store it on your Titan Key instead of continuing to use your own password. At this point, you’ll also set up a PIN that can be used with your security key to unlock your Google account. But Titan Key can work with any supported account, not just Google. And of course, you can use it as a two-factor authentication device alongside traditional passwords as well.
These new Titan switches are on sale today on the Google Store and cost the same as the switches they replace. The USB-A model costs $30, while the USB-C switch costs $35.
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