---
url: 'https://www.corbado.com/blog/adobe-passkeys-best-practices-analysis'
title: 'Adobe Passkeys: Analysis of Sign-Ups and Logins'
description: 'Analyze best practices for Adobe passkeys. Tailored for developers and product managers seeking to enhance security and user experience.'
lang: 'en'
author: 'Janina'
date: '2023-10-02T00:00:00.000Z'
lastModified: '2026-03-25T10:42:22.565Z'
keywords: 'adobe'
category: 'Passkeys Reviews'
---
# Adobe Passkeys: Analysis of Sign-Ups and Logins
## 1. TL;DR
- [Passkey availability](https://www.corbado.com/faq/are-passkeys-available) since May, 2023
- Passkeys are only available at login, not at initial sign up for an account (yet)
- Creation currently only works manually via the Sign-in and security section in the Adobe
account settings
- Adobe pushes the transition to [passkey login](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkey-login-best-practices) for
new users by clearly highlighting the option when visiting the Sign-in and security page
for the first time
- [Availability of passkeys](https://www.corbado.com/faq/are-passkeys-available) on all major platforms (iOS,
macOS, Windows, [Android](https://www.corbado.com/blog/how-to-enable-passkeys-android)), but does not work with
Chrome on iOSConditional UI functionality is enabled, providing a seamless user
experience
## 2. Introduction
More and more companies from a wide range of industries are stepping into a password-free
world and implement passkeys. Through this series of articles, we aim to provide a
comprehensive overview of the
[passkey user experience](https://www.corbado.com/faq/passkey-user-experience-benefits-non-technical-audience) of
those companies. This should enable you to incorporate these findings and enhance your
product login accordingly. In each article, we focus on a single company. Today, we dive
into Adobe. Since May 2023, existing Adobe users can create passkeys for their account and
log in with them. As a multinational software company with products widely used across
numerous industries, Adobes introduction of passkeys can encourage other software and
service providers to consider or adopt the new login standard.
_Disclaimer:_
1. _Status of the analysis is September 2023. Passkey features are subject to change by
companies on an ongoing basis._
2. _Please refer to the use cases to find the devices we used for the analysis._
## 3. Key insights from Adobe passkeys analysis
In this section, we present the most important insights we have gained from the analysis
of Adobe passkeys.
### 3.1 Highlights of Adobe passkeys implementation
2.1.1 Hybrid rollout strategy
Currently, Adobe passkeys are limited to logging into already existing Adobe accounts. To
initially set up a passkey for the device used, you must first go to the account settings
in your Adobe admin area. The passkey can then be created manually in the 'Sign-in and
security section. This is probably done to start with low risk and find bugs with early
adopters (as passkeys flows, especially for cross-device and cross-platform processes are
quite complex to implement). Even though this approach may be less user-friendly at the
moment, it helps to gather feedback and ensures a careful
[transition to passkeys](https://www.corbado.com/blog/user-transition-passkeys-expert-strategies) especially for
all non-technical users who may not be familiar with passkeys as an additional login
option. This rollout strategy is to ensure a careful
[transition to passkeys](https://www.corbado.com/blog/user-transition-passkeys-expert-strategies) for existing
users.
In any case, Adobe has ambitions totransform as many users as possible to passkeys: For
example, a user who hasjust created an account and is in the 'Sign-in and security
settings' for thefirst time will be shown the option to generate a passkey right at the
top. Thebenefits are also highlighted, which emphasizes that Adobe is pushing
thetransition to passkeys.
2.1.2 Enabled Conditional UI feature
One prominent feature of Adobe passkey implementation is the immediate integration of
[Conditional UI](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/conditional-ui). The powerful feature leverages the autofill
function passkeys provide, enhancing user convenience. It automatically suggests and
prefills passkeys as soon as the user clicks on the username input field. Adobe users can
experience the time-saving benefits of passkeys without the need for manual search or
entry of credentials (not even usernames!), as they are already stored in the device /
browser and are automatically pre-filled.
2.1.3 Insightful passkey properties
In the Sign-in and security section where users can view all their saved passkeys, Adobe
offers insightful details about each passkey. It indicates the device, operating system
and browser on which the passkey was generated. Moreover, timestamps provide when the
passkey was last used.
2.1.4 Clear and simple user communication
Adobe uses the term passkeys. Besides, as with [Google passkeys](https://www.corbado.com/blog/google-passkeys)
(check out our analysis on [Google passkeys](https://www.corbado.com/blog/google-passkeys) for more information),
the reference is drawn to the underlying concept of
[biometric authentication](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkeys-biometric-authentication) here as well, with
which the vast majority of users are likely to be familiar. To assist users who are
unfamiliar with passkeys or are looking for more information, Adobe provides detailed
explanations that cover passkeys in general, as well as setup and deletion in order to
counteract any possible fears of users at an early stage. This highlights their effort to
persuade users about the benefits of passkeys and promote
[passwordless authentication](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/passwordless-authentication).
### 3.2 Drawbacks of Adobe passkeys implementation
2.2.1 Occasional unavailability of platform-browser combinations
Currently, Adobe passkeys cannot be used on all devices or browser-operating system
combinations. For example, you cant use passkeys on Windows in general or
[Chrome on Mac](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/chrome-on-mac) yet. Therefore, users still have to log in with
their password every now and then, which decreases the overall user experience.
2.2.2 No smart passkey management
Even if a passkey is already stored in the Adobe account for a device, the Add button
remains visible, allowing users to manually start the creation process for a new passkey.
This implies that Adobe does not clearly detect beforehand whether a passkey might have
already been created for this device. If you try to recreate a passkey, you will be
informed that a passkey has already been generated for this device in a proper manner (no
bug) and the new one will not be stored.
## 4. Passkey setup in your Adobe account
Adobe has published detailed explanation of passkeys and guidance on how to set them up,
log them in, and delete them. This reflects their recognition of the need to educate users
about the technology and functionality behind passkeys, as not everyone may be familiar
with them yet.
To register new passkeys for your Adobe account (on desktop and mobile version), follow
these steps:
1. Click the account icon in the top right corner and then View Account
2. Click on the Account and security tab
3. Click on the Sign-in and security tab
4. Click on the Add button at the Passkeys section
## 5. Analysis of the login process
### 5.1 Tested cases
Note that we have only performed the use cases with passkey-ready devices (e.g., no iPhone
prior to [iOS](https://www.corbado.com/blog/webauthn-errors) 16.0, no MacBook prior to macOS Ventura, no Windows
device prior to Windows 10). We use the same Adobe account for every use case.
| | MacBook (macOS Ventura 13.3.1) | iPhone (iOS 17.0) | Xiaomi Mi 10 (Android 11) |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| Multi-device passkey | [Use case 1](#use-case-1) (Safari) | [Use case 2](#use-case-2) (Safari) | [Use case 3](#use-case-3) (Chrome) |
| Single-device passkey | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Use case 1: MacBook Safari passkey creation / login
| Use case | MacBook Safari passkey creation / login |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Use case number | 1 |
| Device | MacBook |
| Operating system | macOS Ventura 13.3.1 |
| Browser | Safari |
| Platform | Apple |
| Synced in | Apple iCloud Keychain |
To initially set up the first passkey for our Adobe account, we click on Add at the
Passkey section as shown before.
**It is noteworthy that at this point the user is informed about what passkeys is all
about. By clicking on the Learn more about Passkeys link, the user gets detailed
information about what passkeys are, how to set them up, how to log in with them, and how
to remove them. This shows that Adobe wants to educate users who do not yet know
passkeys.**
After clicking on Add the default Apple passkey pop-up appears that prompts us to use
Touch ID to set up the passkey.
Once successfully registered, we receive a notification confirming the successful
generation of the passkey.
In the sign-in and security settings, we can now view details about the passkey or even
remove it again. The properties include information about the device, operating system,
and browser on which the passkey was created, along with a timestamp when it was last
used.
When using the same browser-operating system combination for which a passkey has already
been stored, Adobe does not detect this immediately and displays the Add option anyway.
However, as soon as you try to [create a passkey](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkey-creation-best-practices),
an error message appears and the process is interrupted.
If we want to log in to Adobe on the MacBook, we use the passkey previously created on
this or on another device that has a passkey stored in the
[iCloud keychain](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/icloud-keychain) (e.g. an iPhone). Due to the enabled
[conditional UI](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/conditional-ui) the stored passkey will be automatically
suggested as soon as we click on the email address field. Though the credentials are
filled in automatically, we have to click on the Continue button again.
We now have the option to either log in with Touch ID via
[Conditional UI](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/conditional-ui) (the process is identical to auto-filling the
email address) or by clicking Sign in with passkey. In both cases we only have to verify
our identity with Touch ID to successfully retrieve the passkey, granting us access to our
account.
4.1.2 Use case 2: iPhone Safari passkey creation / login
| Use case | iPhone Safari passkey creation / login |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| Use case number | 2 |
| Device | iPhone |
| Operating system | iOS 17.0 |
| Browser | Safari |
| Platform | Apple |
| Synced in | Apple iCloud Keychain |
**Note: In this use case, we generate a passkey on iPhone Safari. The process for
generating the passkey for is the same as the one for MacBook Safari, with the only
difference that we create the passkey via Face ID instead of using Touch ID.**
To initially set up the first passkey for our Adobe account, we click on Add at the
Passkey section as shown before.
**It is noteworthy that at this point the user is informed about what passkeys is all
about. By clicking on the Learn more about Passkeys link, the user gets detailed
information about what passkeys are, how to set them up, how to log in with them, and how
to remove them. This shows that Adobe wants to educate users who do not yet know
passkeys.**
After clicking on Add, the default Apple passkey pop-up appears that prompts us to use
[Face ID](https://www.corbado.com/faq/is-face-id-passkey) to set up the passkey.
Once successfully registered, we receive a notification confirming the successful
generation of the passkey.
In the sign-in and security settings, we can now view details about the passkey or even
remove it again. The properties include information about the device, operating system,
and browser on which the passkey was created, along with a timestamp when it was last
used.
When using the same browser-operating system combination for which a passkey has already
been stored, Adobe does not detect this immediately and displays the Add option anyway.
However, as soon as you try to [create a passkey](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkey-creation-best-practices),
an error message appears and the process is interrupted.
If we want to log in to Adobe on the iPhone, we use the passkey previously created on this
or on another device that has a passkey stored in the
[iCloud keychain](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/icloud-keychain) (e.g. an MacBook). Due to the enabled
conditional UI the stored passkey will be automatically suggested as soon as we open the
sign in page in the browser. You can now either sign in with the credentials suggested by
Conditional UI or click 'Sign in with passkeys'.
If you are using the email address suggested by Conditional UI, you still have to click
the Continue button again (though the credentials are filled in automatically).
We now have the option to Sign in with passkey: After verifying our identity with
[Face ID](https://www.corbado.com/faq/is-face-id-passkey), the passkey is successfully, granting us access to our
account.
If you decide to click on Sign in with passkey in the step before, the appropriate passkey
from Conditional UI will be suggested to you immediately. The default iPhone passkey
pop-up (same as above) appears and you will only have to sign in with your
[Face ID](https://www.corbado.com/faq/is-face-id-passkey).
4.1.3 Use case 3: Adobe Android Chrome passkey creation / login
| Use case | Android Chrome passkey creation |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------- |
| Use case number | 3 |
| Device | Xiaomi Mi 10 |
| Operating system | Android 11 |
| Browser | Chrome |
| Platform | Android |
| Synced in | Google Password Manager |
In this use case, we generate a passkey on an
[Android](https://www.corbado.com/blog/how-to-enable-passkeys-android) device in the Chrome browser and store it
in the [Google Password Manager](https://www.corbado.com/blog/how-to-use-google-password-manager). The process
for generating the passkey for the [Android](https://www.corbado.com/blog/how-to-enable-passkeys-android) device
is the same as the one for the iPhone e.g., with the only difference that we create the
passkey on Android using fingerprint scanning instead of facial recognition and that in
this step it is possible to specify the Google account where the created passkey will be
stored and synced.
Once our fingerprint was successfully registered, we receive a notification confirming the
successful generation of the passkey. The passkey is now displayed in the Passkeys section
in the sign-in and security settings.
Like the iPhone, the Android phone does not recognize that a passkey already exists on the
device and continues to display the option to add a passkeys. If users then want to set up
a passkey, Adobe detects this and prevents the creation of a new and overwriting of an
existing passkey. Further, the phone does not recognize if there is already a passkey for
another Android phone stored in the
[Google Password Manager](https://www.corbado.com/blog/how-to-use-google-password-manager) and allows the
creation of a second passkey.
If we want to log in to Adobe on the Android, we use the passkey previously created on
this device. First, the email address input field is empty and the passkey window will not
appear immediately, but due to the enabled conditional UI the stored passkey will be
automatically suggested and pre-filled as soon as we click on the field.
After verifying our identity with fingerprint scanning, the passkey is successfully
retrieved, granting us access to our account.
## 6. Conclusion
Adobe's entry into the world of passkeys highlights the industry's shift toward
[passwordless authentication](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/passwordless-authentication), enabling greater
security without compromising the user experience. The
[phased implementation](https://www.corbado.com/faq/gradual-rollout-support-passkey-adoption) approach
underscores Adobe's commitment to addressing bugs early on to deliver a particularly
smooth login experience. By providing informative user education, Adobe ensures that its
large user base stays informed and comfortable with this new authentication method. In
particular, features such as syncing passkeys between the
[native app](https://www.corbado.com/blog/native-app-passkeys) and browser, as well as the integration of the
Conditional UI functionality, set a new standard for all major enterprises soon to adopt
passkeys.
## Frequently Asked Questions
### How do I set up a passkey for my Adobe account?
To [create a passkey](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkey-creation-best-practices), navigate to Account and
security, then the Sign-in and security tab, and click Add in the Passkeys section. The
process works on macOS Safari via Touch ID, [iOS](https://www.corbado.com/blog/webauthn-errors) Safari via Face
ID and Android Chrome via fingerprint scanning, with passkeys synced through
[iCloud Keychain](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/icloud-keychain) or
[Google Password Manager](https://www.corbado.com/blog/how-to-use-google-password-manager) respectively.
### Why does Adobe still show the Add passkey button even though I already have one on this device?
Adobe does not proactively detect whether a passkey already exists for a specific device
or browser-OS combination, so the Add button remains visible regardless. If you attempt to
create a duplicate, Adobe intercepts the process and displays an error message, preventing
the existing passkey from being overwritten.
### What passkey details can I view inside my Adobe account settings?
Adobe displays insightful properties for each stored passkey, including the device,
operating system and browser on which it was created. A timestamp showing when the passkey
was last used is also provided, giving users clear visibility into their authentication
activity.
### Does Adobe educate users who are unfamiliar with passkeys during the setup process?
Yes. During [passkey creation](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkey-creation-best-practices), Adobe surfaces a
Learn more about Passkeys link that covers what passkeys are, how to set them up, how to
log in and how to remove them. The Sign-in and security page also proactively highlights
the passkey option with benefit callouts for users visiting it for the first time.