[Feedback] Passkeys for passwordless authentication #67791
Replies: 62 comments 125 replies
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Love this! Is there a way we can remove password from the account and go completely passwordless? |
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Tried to add a Yubikey 5c on Safari and Firefox on macOS, and on Firefox on Linux. Getting 422 with this error: |
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It seems I cannot setup Windows Hello as a passkey as Windows only allows me to provision a USB key: though Security Key via Windows Hello works fine. Windows 11 Pro 22H2 (22621.2283) |
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I'm not able to set up a passkey on an Android device. After going through the setup on GitHub, following the push notification steps, and entering my phone PIN, I see "Passkey registration failed." Android 11 I was able to set one up with MacOS + Chrome and Windows 11 + Chrome without issue. I tried setting it up on my device from the Windows computer, but that also resulted in a failed registration. I saw this error in the browser console at that time: |
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Please help by explaining two things - I have read all the docs and posts but I cannot find an answer. I use a linux (ubuntu 22.04) laptop and edge browser.
Thirdly can someone answer if I don't set up 2FA or a passkey will I still be able to report bugs and contribute to discussions on github projects with a simple password. It is proving so difficult to understand all the unexplained stuff in your 2FA docs that I am thinking that it'll be easier simply to stop using github for my own code. |
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Excellent news! May I suggest adding the ability to enable 2FA for specific passkeys? |
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My small list of suggestions. It would be handy to have the ability to test the passkey directly in your account settings. Ability to add a passkey with a lifespan. Backup passkey(s). A passkey that is not intended for frequent usage and must be opened first, with a specific time period set in the initialization stage and, optionally, a list of users who must be informed. Periodically ask the user to check if he still has access to the passkey and if it is in a working condition by completing the test. If it is not already done. I never used keys for 2FA on GitHub. (pass+TOTP). And saw only messages about 2FA and backup codes. |
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Will it be possible to disable TOTP in the future? |
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I got a popup from Github today demanding an SMS authentication. I have 2FA set up with a Yubikey, a backup Yubikey, and a list of TOTP passwords. But there was no option to use the Yubikey. It insisted on SMS. My first reaction was to think this was some kind of phishing message. If you've set up 2FA with a Yubikey, you should never be forced to use SMS. |
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I was able to setup and login while the beta was active but it seems there has been a recent change in the way webauthn is requesting the device on android chrome. If I tap sign in with a passkey I just get a window saying "there aren't any passkeys for github.com on this device", where as other sites are prompting for the type of passkey to use, NFC or USB. Works fine on all other platforms but now I have to use a computer to complain about free software. |
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Today, not only did Github ask for SMS authentication again, and, as before, would not accept my Yubikey, it offered to redisplay my TOTP keys! Those are last-ditch credentials that were supposed to be sent once only! I printed them and put the printout in a safe deposit box. Now you're exposing them to anybody who can divert or steal my cell phone. This is really sloppy. Need to get Schneier on Security to review Github's 2FA system. |
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I had an issue when registering 1password as a passkey on Ubuntu 22.04 with Firefox 119.0 (64-bit). |
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Are you planning on using passkeys for git too, i.e. to allow it instead of SSH keys? |
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Just to clarify,
What I commented in the discussion months ago was that when the known
issue in your 4th bullet point occurs, the error message should say so,
instead of the misleading error message you quoted in that same bullet
point.
The rest of your reply below is entirely irrelevant.
…On 12/7/2024 11:05 PM, Mohammedalduhamshi wrote:
We've taken passkeys from a public beta to general availability,
with all users able to set up and use a passkey.
This discussion is to track known ecosystem issues and get your
feedback about passkeys. Previous feedback from the beta can be
found here <#54450>.
Known issues
* Some browsers and operating systems may not allow you to
upgrade an existing security key registration to a passkey. If
you receive an error during the upgrade flow, you should
delete the security key from your GitHub account and then
register your authenticator as a passkey by clicking "Add a
passkey".
* Some browsers will show old security keys (i.e. Touch ID) in
the password autofill section, but GitHub won't accept them.
These keys have not been registered as passkeys and do not
sync, but we cannot delete them from your device. To fix this,
ensure that the device is registered as a passkey and then in
your device settings, delete the old security key registration.
* If you have not set up Windows Hello
<https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/learn-about-windows-hello-and-set-it-up-dae28983-8242-bb2a-d3d1-87c9d265a5f0>,
your browser may not tell GitHub.com that you have an
available passkey. If you see a warning that your browser
doesn't support passkeys, and you are on Windows, try setting
up Hello and trying again, or use a passkey on another device.
* If you use Firefox and a hardware security key, you might get
an error during setup or upgrade indicating |Passkey
registration failed. This cannot be used as a passkey|. This
is because Firefox doesn't support setting up the PIN for a
hardware key
<https://www.yubico.com/blog/firefox-support-for-fido2-authenticators-is-here/>.
If you encounter this issue, you have to set up the PIN
yourself, using an app like Yubico Authenticator to manage the
key directly, before trying again.
Filing a report
If you've encountered a bug or undesirable behavior with how
GitHub interacts with your device's passkey support , it's really
helpful to know your operating system and browser version, I.e.
Mac OS Ventura 13.5.2, Google Chrome 117.0.5938.62.
You can learn more about passkeys at these useful links:
* About Passkeys
<https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/authenticating-with-a-passkey/about-passkeys>
* Launch blog post <https://gh.io/passkeys-beta-blog>
* Chrome's OS support matrix
<https://developers.google.com/identity/passkeys/supported-environments>
in case you see a warning that passkeys aren't supported in
Chrome.
Message ID:
***@***.***>
--
Jakob Bohm, CIO, partner, WiseMo A/S. https://www.wisemo.com
Transformervej 29, 2860 Soborg, Denmark. direct: +45 31 13 16 10
<tel:+4531131610>
This message is only for its intended recipient, delete if misaddressed.
WiseMo - Remote Service Management for PCs, Phones and Embedded
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The situation has improved somewhat for me... it looks like passkeys now work on Safari (version 18.2) on macOS (Sonoma 14.7.1). I dunno if that's because of the minor updates to Safari/macOS or something on GitHub's end, but I am able to sign in with a passkey without first using a password. However, the UI still leaves something to be desired. On the log in screen, Safari's autofill offers a passkey when the cursor is in the default username/password fields? If you (somewhat blindly) click on the passkey entry in Safari's password list which is the default behavior, GitHub will attempt to log you in but give you the error message as before, which reads: "Unable to sign in with your passkey. Please sign in with your password." You have to deliberately scrutinize the log in screen and realize... oh, I have to specifically click the "Sign in with a passkey" button, and then that works properly as passkeys should. I'm not sure if that's a problem with the implementation of password/passkey autofill on Safari's part or something that GitHub can fix on their end, but I think there still needs some improvement here. |
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I have not read all the comments. But currently - I don't find using hardware tokens on GitHub, to be of any benefit - when it can be skipped by the actor logging in. Once the ability to remove the option of using Password / TOTP (as long as a Hardware token is In use) - then it will make sense. Currently - it serves no purpose |
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how to disable 2fa? |
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My colleague has same issue. |
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💬 Your Product Feedback Has Been Submitted 🎉 Thank you for taking the time to share your insights with us! Your feedback is invaluable as we build a better GitHub experience for all our users. Here's what you can expect moving forward ⏩
Where to look to see what's shipping 👀
What you can do in the meantime 💻
As a member of the GitHub community, your participation is essential. While we can't promise that every suggestion will be implemented, we want to emphasize that your feedback is instrumental in guiding our decisions and priorities. Thank you once again for your contribution to making GitHub even better! We're grateful for your ongoing support and collaboration in shaping the future of our platform. ⭐ |
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Why don't I see the option of saving my passkey to my BYO password manager (BitWarden, 1Password, Dashlane, etc)? |
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Tried to register a passkey, got "Passkey registration failed" and "This cannot be used as a passkey". Having some more information here would be really useful, at bare minimum I think there should be a link to a "What can I do about this?" page. Ideally, there would be some more detail, like "device doesn't support [feature]" or "response to [message] was invalid", possibly in the console. At the minute, I have no idea if the problem is my browser, os setup, passkey or something else. |
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Here's what might be going wrong, and what could help:🔍 Possible Causes of Passkey Registration Failure
✅ What You Can Do About ItHere’s what I recommend: 1. Check Your Device & Browser Compatibility
2. Check Console for Errors
3. Update Browser and OS
4. Enable Platform Authenticators
5. Improve Developer Error Messages (if you're the dev)If you're building a passkey system, you can:
🌐 Suggested Documentation Link (if you're the platform provider)A helpful page like
If you're comfortable sharing:
… I can help debug more specifically. Let me know how you want to proceed! |
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Hi the github team,
Thanks for your responses.
I have to apologize - we found a problem with our authenticator. We already
fixed it, so it works now.
The issue shall be closed.
Have a nice day!
Kostia
…On Sat, Jun 14, 2025 at 10:34 AM Sumangal Karan ***@***.***> wrote:
Here's what might be going wrong, and what could help:
------------------------------
🔍 *Possible Causes of Passkey Registration Failure*
1.
*Device or Platform Incompatibility*
- Your device or browser may not support *WebAuthn* or *platform
authenticators* (e.g., Windows Hello, Face ID, Touch ID).
- For example, some Linux setups or older Android versions may lack
native support.
2.
*Cross-Origin Restrictions*
- Passkey registration requires a *secure, same-origin context*. If
something like an iframe, redirection, or third-party domain is involved,
it might silently fail.
3.
*Browser-Specific Issues*
- Some browsers (especially in private/incognito mode) may block
WebAuthn requests.
- Chrome, Safari, and Firefox support passkeys, but not always
equally.
4.
*User Gesture Requirement Not Met*
- WebAuthn requires a *user gesture* (like a button click). If the
registration is triggered automatically or indirectly, the call may fail.
5.
*Improper Server Configuration*
-
Server-side problems with challenge/attestation parameters can also
lead to errors, especially if:
- Relying party ID is misconfigured
- Authenticator selection is too strict
- User verification requirement is too high for the device
------------------------------
✅ *What You Can Do About It*
Here’s what I recommend:
1. *Check Your Device & Browser Compatibility*
- Use a tool like https://webauthn.io/ to test WebAuthn support and
register a passkey.
- Try using a different browser or device (e.g., Chrome on macOS, Edge
on Windows).
2. *Check Console for Errors*
- Open DevTools (F12) > Console tab and look for messages related to
navigator.credentials.create.
- Look for NotAllowedError, InvalidStateError, or SecurityError.
3. *Update Browser and OS*
- Ensure you’re on the *latest version* of your OS and browser. Many
passkey features require up-to-date security modules.
4. *Enable Platform Authenticators*
- On some OSes (especially Windows), you may need to set up biometric
auth like *Windows Hello* before passkey creation works.
5. *Improve Developer Error Messages (if you're the dev)*
If you're building a passkey system, you can:
-
Catch and inspect create() promise rejections and display better UX
messages:
try {
await navigator.credentials.create({ ... });} catch (err) {
console.error("Passkey registration failed:", err.name, err.message);
// Show user-friendly message based on err.name}
-
Add detailed error logging and fallback options.
------------------------------
🌐 Suggested Documentation Link (if you're the platform provider)
A helpful page like example.com/help/passkeys could explain:
- What devices/browsers support passkeys
- Troubleshooting steps
- Security requirements
- Contact/support options
------------------------------
If you're comfortable sharing:
- Your OS and browser
- Whether you're using platform or cross-platform passkeys
- Any console errors
… I can help debug more specifically.
Let me know how you want to proceed!
—
Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
<#67791 (comment)>,
or unsubscribe
<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AHA5USHBDT26QKQ54ZV6CQ33DPF75AVCNFSM6AAAAAA5A7NFNSVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTGNBWG42TONY>
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You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID:
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We've taken passkeys from a public beta to general availability, with all users able to set up and use a passkey.
This discussion is to track known ecosystem issues and get your feedback about passkeys. Previous feedback from the beta can be found here.
Known issues
Passkey registration failed. This cannot be used as a passkey. This is because Firefox doesn't support setting up the PIN for a hardware key. If you encounter this issue, you have to set up the PIN yourself, using an app like Yubico Authenticator to manage the key directly, before trying again.Filing a report
If you've encountered a bug or undesirable behavior with how GitHub interacts with your device's passkey support , it's really helpful to know your operating system and browser version, I.e. Mac OS Ventura 13.5.2, Google Chrome 117.0.5938.62.
You can learn more about passkeys at these useful links:
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