Use Passkeys

What are passkeys?

Passkeys are a more secure alternative to passwords.

A passkey lets you use the security features on your phone, computer or tablet to sign in to apps and websites. Passkeys can be: 

• biometrics, such as fingerprint recognition or facial recognition 
• screen lock, such as a PIN or swipe pattern 
• a physical security key. 

Security keys are a physical USB device that needs to be inserted into or close to the device you are signing in to. If you use a security key, we recommend you create more than one passkey in myGov to help you access your account if the security key is lost or stolen.

Watch this video to learn more about passkeys.

Synced and non-synced passkeys

A synced passkey is saved to a password manager and is available to all devices using that password manager. For example, an iPhone or iPad signed in to the same Apple ID can use the same passkey. 

A non-synced passkey is saved on a physical security token or device, not in a password manager. It can only be used on that device and can’t be shared across devices.

Before you create a passkey

Device compatibility

To create a passkey you’ll need:

• an Apple device with iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura or higher
• an Android device with Android 9 or above
• Microsoft Edge, or Google Chrome on Windows
• Edge, Safari, or Google Chrome on macOS
• ChromeOS.

You may also need to enable these functions on your device:

• Screen lock to create a synced passkey.
• Bluetooth, if you’re using your device to sign in on another device.
• iCloud Keychain if you have iOS or macOS.

Find out more about how to set up iCloud Keychain on the Apple website.

Create a passkey for myGov

Passkeys should only be created on a trusted device. A trusted device is a device you own and don’t share with anyone else.  

You can have up to 3 passkeys registered in your myGov account.

myGov website

Using your device

To create a passkey on the myGov website, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to myGov.
2. Select the My account or Menu option
3. Select Account settings.
4. From Sign in settings go to Passkeys and select Manage.
5. Enter your password and select Next or verify using Digital Identity and select Continue with Digital Identity.
6. From Passkeys select Create passkey, then select Next.
7. Follow the device prompts.
8. myGov will assign a passkey name, select Save.

Using another device

You can use a shared or public device to create a passkey on your trusted device using the QR code option.

To create a passkey using another device, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to myGov on the device.
2. Select the My account or Menu option.
3. Select Account settings.
4. From Sign in settings go to Passkeys and select Manage.
5. Enter your password and select Next or verify using Digital Identity and select Continue with Digital Identity.
6. From Passkeys select Create passkey, then select Next.
7. Select iPhone, iPad or Android device.
8. Use your trusted device to scan the QR code.
9. Follow the device prompts.

Using a security key

To create a passkey using a security key, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to myGov.
2. Select the My account or Menu option
3. Select Account settings.
4. From Sign in settings go to Passkeys and select Manage.
5. Enter your password and select Next or verify using Digital Identity and select Continue with Digital Identity.
6. From Passkeys select Create passkey, then select Next.
7. Select Security key.
8. Follow the Security key device instructions.

Once you have created a passkey, you can use it to sign in to your myGov account. The next time you sign in to myGov, select Sign in with passkeys.

Once you’ve created a passkey for myGov you can turn off your myGov password to improve your account security.

You‘ll still need your password to view or update some myGov settings, such as your secret questions, sign in options or myGov PIN.

You can also create a passkey in the myGov app.

Sign in to the myGov website using a passkey

Using the device you created a passkey on

Sign in to myGov using the device you created a passkey on:

1. Go to my.gov.au and select Sign in.
2. Select Sign in with passkey.
3. Follow the prompts on your device.

On another device

Sign in to myGov on another device using a passkey on your trusted device:

1. Go to my.gov.au and select Sign in.
2. Select Sign in with passkey.
3. Select Use another device.
4. Select iPhone, iPad or Android device.
5. Follow the prompts on your device.

You can only use this option with a synced passkey.

Using a security key

Sign in to myGov using a security key:

1. Go to my.gov.au and select Sign in.
2. Select Sign in with passkey.
3. Select Use another device.
4. Select Security key.
5. Insert and activate your Security key.
6. Follow the prompts on your device.

Some public devices, such as library computers, may not allow you to insert external devices.

myGov sign in help

If you can’t sign in to your myGov account using your passkeys, you can find troubleshooting tips on sign in help.

Rename a passkey

Follow these steps to rename your passkeys:

1. Sign in to myGov.
2. Select the My account or Menu option, then select Account settings.
3. From Sign in settings go to Passkeys and select Manage.
4. Enter your password and select Next or verify using Digital Identity and select Continue with Digital Identity.
5. Go to the passkey you want to rename and select Edit.
6. Enter your new passkey name and select Save.

Your passkey name should be something you can easily remember. Don’t use personal information to name your passkey.

Remove a passkey

To remove a passkey, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to myGov.
2. Select My account or Menu option, then select Account settings.
3. From Sign in settings go to Passkeys and select Manage.
4. Enter your password and select Next or verify using Digital Identity and select Continue with Digital Identity.
5. Go to the passkey you want to remove and select Remove.
6. Confirm the removal of the Passkey, select Remove.

You can’t remove a passkey if you signed in with it. You’ll need to sign out of myGov and sign in with your username and password, or Digital Identity. If you’ve turned your password off, you’ll need to turn it on to sign in before you remove your passkey.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) doesn’t support Secret Questions and Answers as a 2 factor authentication option. If you remove your last passkey and use secret questions as your 2 factor authentication option, the ATO online service will unlink from your myGov account.

You need to also delete the passkey from your device or password manager to avoid issues when creating a passkey for myGov in the future.

The steps to delete a passkey from your trusted device may be different depending on the device you have. These steps are an example on how to delete a passkey from your device.

On an Apple device, follow these steps to delete the passkey from your device:

1. Select Settings, then find and select Passwords.
2. Select the Info button for myGov (login.my.gov.au).
3. Select Edit.
4. Select Delete Passkey.
5. Select Delete Passkey to finalise.

 On an Android device, follow these steps to delete a passkey from your device:

1. Select Settings, then find and select Password Manager.
2. Select the entry for myGov (login.my.gov.au).
3. Unlock your device if prompted.
4. Select Delete for the passkey listed for myGov (login.my.gov.au).
5. Select Delete to finalise.