With the Keys app, Passport Prime enables you to store and manage your security keys in a secure and offline environment, ensuring your online accounts are protected by a second-factor authentication layer to guard against hacks and identity theft. You can create and label multiple virtual keys, which can be easily backed up, unlike existing solutions that lack a backup method and force you to buy multiple devices for redundancy.
With Magic Backups on, your security keys and their registrations are included in Passport Prime's encrypted app data backup, so you don't need to buy multiple keys to back each other up. Restoring your Master Key alone does not bring back security key registrations: they come back only from that app data backup. Keep the recovery codes each service gives you, so you can still get into your accounts if you lose access to Passport Prime.
On KeyOS 1.4.x, Passport Prime works as a U2F security key only, over USB and NFC. Most services still accept U2F as a second factor. FIDO2 and passkeys are not available yet. Services that require them, such as Amazon, will refuse to register Passport Prime and show an error saying your device cannot be used with that site.
Security key registrations come back from your Magic Backup's app data, not from the Master Key alone. Keep each service's recovery codes too.
Adding a Security Key
To add your first security key to Passport Prime, simply tap New Security Key.
Passport Prime will then ask you to label the new key and assign it a color. Both of these can also be edited later. After pressing Save, the new security key will be added to your list.
To add additional keys, simply tap the three-dot menu icon and choose New Security Key.
Tapping on any of your keys will open the authentication view where the key is ready to be used to log into the associated service, but before that can take place, the new key must be registered with the service you want to use it with.
Before registering or using a key, make sure USB or NFC is enabled in the Control Center (swipe down from the top of the screen). If neither is on, Passport Prime shows an Enable Communications message.
The steps for registering a new security key as a method of authentication will differ, so please refer to the service's instructions on how to do so. There will be a point during the registration process that the service will ask you to plug in or tap the new key via NFC to register it. Passport Prime then shows Confirm Registration. Use the Select key to register dropdown to choose the key (or create a new one), then tap Confirm. Passport Prime shows Registration Submitted: check on the service that the registration succeeded.
Once registered, the new key can be used as an authentication method with the associated service. Simply tap on the key to open the authentication view, then plug Passport Prime into your computer or tap it to the NFC receiver on your phone.
Search and Reorder
With several keys saved, tap the three dots in the top right corner and choose Search to find a key, or Reorder to sort them by Alphabetical, Date or Custom order.
Edit Key
To edit or archive a key, tap the three dots in the top right corner, tap Edit, then tap on the key you want to edit.
From here you can:
- Update the key label
- Change the key color
- Archive the key (to be used when a key is no longer needed)
Key Archive
Accessed by tapping the three dots in the top right corner, followed by View Archive, the key Archive houses all keys that are no longer in use and have been manually archived by the user.
Keys can be restored from the archive at any time by tapping on the key, followed by Restore Key. On KeyOS 1.4.x security keys can be archived but not deleted: Restore Key is the only action offered for an archived key.
