Why Passkeys Aren't Everywhere Yet (Hint: It's Not Your Fault)

ExpressVPN just added passkey support and secure credential sharing to its password manager, ExpressKeys. This matters because the missing piece holding back passkey adoption wasn't user resistance. It was that the tools families rely on didn't support the way real people actually share passwords.

The Details

Passkeys are the next generation of login security. They replace traditional passwords with cryptographic keys stored on your device, making them nearly impossible to steal or phish. Tech companies have been promoting passkeys for years, and security experts agree they're far safer than passwords.

But here's the problem nobody talks about: families share credentials all the time. You share your Netflix password with your spouse. Your elderly parents need access to shared bank accounts. Small business owners share logins with their teams. For years, password managers supported passkeys for individual users but didn't let you securely share them with others.

So families did what they always do when technology fails them. They created workarounds. Shared spreadsheets on Google Drive. Passwords texted between family members. Login details saved in notes apps. These solutions work, but they're exactly the kind of insecure practices that passkeys were supposed to replace. The technology was ready, but the tools weren't built for how families actually live.

Who Is Affected

This affects every family trying to manage their digital life securely. If you've ever needed to share a streaming service password, give a family member access to a joint account, or let someone else log into a shared service, you've faced this problem. Parents managing accounts for teens, adult children helping elderly parents with online banking, and couples sharing household services all need secure credential sharing.

Small business owners and freelancers feel this pain even more acutely. When you need to give your assistant access to your social media accounts or share client portals with team members, the lack of secure sharing features forces you to choose between security and productivity.

What You Should Do Right Now

Audit how your family currently shares passwords. Write down every account you share and how you're sharing access right now. If you're texting passwords or keeping them in unsecured documents, that's a security risk.

Choose a password manager that supports secure sharing. Look for options like ExpressVPN's ExpressKeys, 1Password, or Dashlane that let you share credentials within encrypted vaults. Your family members get access without ever seeing the actual password in plain text.

Enable passkeys wherever they're offered. Major services like Google, Apple, Microsoft, and many banks now support passkeys. Start with your most critical accounts and enable passkey login when available.

Create a family sharing plan. Decide which accounts truly need to be shared and set them up properly in your password manager. Delete those old spreadsheets and text message threads with passwords.

Talk to your family about the change. Everyone who shares accounts needs to understand where credentials live now and how to access them securely.

The Bigger Picture

This situation reveals an important truth about cybersecurity: the best technology in the world doesn't matter if it doesn't fit how people actually live. Passkeys are genuinely more secure than passwords, but tool makers assumed everyone manages their digital life alone. Families don't work that way, and neither do small teams. As more password managers add collaborative features, you'll see passkey adoption accelerate. The lesson here is that security solutions must serve real families, not theoretical individuals.

How GetCyberRight Can Help

While you're evaluating password managers and transitioning to passkeys, you still need strong passwords for accounts that don't support the new technology yet. Our Password Generator helps you create unique, complex passwords for every account your family uses. It's a critical bridge tool as you move toward passkey-enabled password managers with secure sharing. Strong passwords today, shared passkeys tomorrow: that's the path to real family security.

Why Passkeys Aren't Everywhere Yet (Hint: It's Not Your Fault)