How Google Plans To Kill Passwords

Google announced yesterday (Dec. 23) it is testing out a new way for users to gain access to their Google accounts without needing to type out a password.

With the new login method, a push notification is sent to a user’s smartphone and access is then authenticated by a response to the message. The password-free login option requires that users only enter their email address when attempting to sign in to their Google account before the authentication notification is sent. Upon approving the login attempt, users will be provided access to their account.

“We’ve invited a small group of users to help test a new way to sign in to their Google accounts, no password required. ‘Pizza,’ ‘password’ and ‘123456’ — your days are numbered,” a Google spokesperson told TechCrunch, confirming that the new experience is in the works.

The password-less push is not a new trend; passwords for digital accounts have become almost as ubiquitous as the devices they’re used to access, and the statistics paint a scary picture.

According to Entrepreneur, the three most common passwords in 2014 were, shockingly, “123456,” “PASSWORD” and “12345.” It’s clear that passwords aren’t the strict security measure they were intended to function as.

In October, Yahoo announced that it would be doing away with passwords for users with Yahoo Mail accounts on iOS and Android. Instead of forcing users to remember complex and cryptic codes, Yahoo is instituting a new Yahoo Account Key service that will use smartphones to verify users’ identities and grant account access.

Dylan Casey, vice president of product management at Yahoo, explained in a statement that the new service is a natural extension of what Yahoo has been doing and what consumers want.

“Passwords are difficult to remember, and secondary sign-in verification is inconvenient and confusing,” Casey said. “Earlier this year, we launched on-demand passwords using an SMS code. We’re now taking a major leap towards a password-free future with the launch of Yahoo Account Key, which uses push notifications to give users simple and secure access using their mobile device.”