Back in May, password manager DashLane announced it was working on ditching the master password for its credential vaults. Now, the company has launched its initial wave of access to the feature and says it is the “first credential manager” to offer passwordless login.
As we reported this past spring, DashLane is curiously not using the passkeys FIDO standard that Apple, Google, and others are already using. It’s chosen to use its own system that has similarities to offer users a passwordless experience.
As to why, the company’s CPO previously said, “The only reason we didn’t do passkey for this is it just wasn’t quite ready…” (via The Verge).
As my colleague Chance mentioned in May, you can store passkeys with DashLane, it’s just that the passwordless login that replaces your master password isn’t built with the FIDO credential standard.
DashLane announced the debut of the new passwordless login feature in a blog post:
Dashlane is the first credential manager to enable users to create and access their account without a Master Password, making logging into Dashlane even faster and reducing the risk of phishing attacks.
As previously planned, the DashLane passwordless login uses either a device-specific PIN or biometrics like Face ID or Touch ID to unlock your password vaults.
DashLane says these are the three main selling points for using the new system:
- Faster account setup and access: Passwordless login eliminates the need to remember and enter the Master Password, making account setup and login more convenient.
- Device-bound security and reduced phishing risk: Passwordless login reduces the risk of password reuse and phishing attacks since there is no Master Password to remember (or forget). Dashlane ties the unique vault key created at account setup to the authorized user’s device(s) and protects it with biometrics or the device PIN and an additional layer of underlying security. This mechanism provides a higher level of security compared to the traditional Master Password or other passwordless solutions that still utilize the password as the foundation of the account.
- Easier account recovery: Building on our account recovery key, which is available to all users, we’re introducing an additional, streamlined mechanism that lets passwordless login users regain access to their data if they lose a device by utilizing a different device logged into Dashlane.
Who can use DashLane passwordless login?
For now, the new passwordless login experience is only available for new personal plan accounts on iOS and Android.
DashLane says that the feature will be “released throughout 2024” for all other customers, including existing users and business accounts.
Here’s how to use it if you’re setting up a new DashLane account:
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