Not all passkeys are the same. The two primary types are synced passkeys and device-bound passkeys. Each offers unique advantages and trade-offs that directly impact security, accessibility, and user experience. In this guide, we’ll explain the key differences between synced and device-bound passkeys to help you understand how user convenience and authentication experiences vary.
What Are Synced Multi-Device Passkeys?
Synced passkeys are designed to be stored in the cloud and accessible across multiple devices. When a user creates a passkey on one device, it’s securely synced through a cloud-based service, such as Apple’s iCloud Keychain, Google Password Manager for Android, or password managers like 1Password or Lastpass. This allows the user to log in to apps and websites from any device that is synced with their password manager without the need to re-create a passkey on each new device.
- Cross-device convenience: Synced passkeys are accessible on all devices synced with their password manager, making the login process seamless across desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
- Backup and recovery: Because the passkeys are stored in the cloud, users don’t need to worry about losing access if one of their devices is lost, damaged, or replaced.
- Slightly Elevated Risk: In the unlikely event of a cloud service breach, there’s a theoretical risk that synced passkeys could be exposed. However, these services utilize robust encryption to protect passkeys, and authentication still requires a second factor—such as biometrics (something you are) or a passcode (something you know)—to decrypt and use them.

What Are Device-Bound Passkeys?
Device-bound passkeys, on the other hand, are stored locally on a specific device. These passkeys do not sync to other devices via the cloud and are unique to the device where they were created. For example, if you create a device bound passkey on your smartphone or security key like Yubikey, it remains bound to that device alone.
- Increased security: Since passkeys are stored locally, they are never transmitted over the internet or stored in a cloud environment.
- Complete control: Users have direct control over the storage and use of their passkeys without relying on third-party cloud services.
- Lack of cross-device access: Because these passkeys are tied to a specific device, users can only log in from that device, which can be inconvenient if multiple devices are in use.
- No backup or recovery: If the device with the passkey is lost or damaged, there’s no cloud backup, and access to the account could be permanently lost.
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Key Differences Between Synced and Device-Bound Passkeys
