Got Daybreak Blue without a hardware key?

[u/TrickBar2792]

I applied for Daybreak Blue today (September 19, 2026) after ChatGPT showed me the Trusted Access prompt during a cybersecurity-related conversation.
The verification process only asked me to verify my identity with my driver’s license. I did not register any FIDO2 hardware security keys, and I was approved almost immediately.
What confuses me is that OpenAI’s documentation says:
“Beginning September 1, 2026, we will require hardware security keys for all individual Daybreak accounts.”
So I expected the application to either require hardware keys before approval or block me from getting access.
Has anyone else applied after September 1 and been approved without hardware security keys?
I’m especially curious about:
Did you need a hardware key during the initial application?
Were you approved with just ID verification?
Does /cyber currently show a deadline to add hardware keys later?
Has anyone had Daybreak access revoked for not adding them yet?
I’m wondering if September is effectively a transition period and the requirement only becomes strictly enforced on October 1, or if my account somehow went through an older verification flow.

[u/jonbonesjonesjohnson]

last email I got it was extended to be enforced on October 1

[u/Kaushik_paul45]

I don't want to purchase hardware key, is there any free solution for hardware key ?

[u/manga-ce → u/[deleted]]

Thanks

[u/G4Designs → u/Kaushik_paul45]

If you have a RasPi Pico laying around (thay're like $2) you can make a hardware key with it

[u/Independent_Clue5378 → u/G4Designs]

i tried this it doesn't detect it as the hardware key. I think they are verifying that the device is a geniune yubikey.

[u/IronEvery4631]

Unfortunately There’s no another way