What are the hardware limitations for passkey support?

What are the hardware limitations for passkey support?#

Passkeys rely on specific hardware capabilities to ensure secure and seamless authentication. While most modern devices support passkeys, certain hardware limitations can affect compatibility.

Key Hardware Limitations#

1. Outdated Devices#

• Older devices may lack the hardware required for passkeys, such as biometric sensors or secure storage modules.
• For example, some desktop computers or laptops may not have fingerprint readers or facial recognition cameras.

2. Biometric Authentication#

• Passkeys often depend on platform authenticators like Touch ID, Face ID, or fingerprint scanners for enhanced security.
• Devices without biometric sensors may require alternative methods, such as PINs, reducing the user experience benefits of passkeys.

3. Hardware Security Modules (HSMs)#

• Certain devices lack the necessary hardware security modules (HSMs) or Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) to securely store cryptographic keys.
• This limitation is more common in older desktop PCs and budget devices.

4. Limited Support in Shared or Public Devices#

Public or shared devices (e.g., kiosks, public computers) may not support the creation or use of passkeys due to security restrictions or lack of platform authenticators.

5. Inconsistent Implementation#

• Even among compatible devices, inconsistencies in hardware implementations can lead to varying levels of passkey functionality.
• For example, some Android devices may have biometric sensors but lack the necessary software integration to fully support passkeys.

Strategies to Address Hardware Limitations#

• Analyze Your User Base: Use tools like the State of Passkeys to determine the percentage of users with compatible devices.
• Educate Users: Encourage updates to newer devices or operating systems where possible.
• Provide Fallbacks: Ensure that alternative authentication methods, like PINs or passwords, are available for users with incompatible hardware.
• Leverage Biometrics Where Available: Optimize your implementation to use biometric authenticators on devices that support them.

Conclusion#

Hardware limitations for passkeys primarily affect older and budget devices without biometric sensors or secure storage. By understanding these constraints and providing appropriate fallbacks, you can ensure a smooth passkey adoption process across a diverse user base.

Read the full article#

About Corbado

Corbado is the Authentication Intelligence Platform for CIAM teams running consumer authentication at scale. We help you see what IDP logs and generic analytics tools can't: where passkeys, passwords, OTP, social login and fallback journeys succeed, stall or fail, which devices and browsers create friction, and when an OS update silently breaks login. Two products: Corbado Observe layers process mining and observability across authentication journeys. Corbado Connect adds managed passkeys with analytics built in alongside your IDP. VicRoads runs passkeys for 5M+ users with Corbado (+80% passkey activation). Talk to a Passkey Expert →