Meta-owned WhatsApp has announced to roll out support for a Passwordless passkey feature to all Android users.
The move will help WhatsApp users on Android bid goodbye to insecure and even annoying two-factor SMS authentication. “Android users can easily and securely log back in with passkeys. Only your face, finger print, or pin unlocks your WhatsApp account,” the company posted on X (formerly Twitter) late on Monday.
Passkeys were previously being tested by WhatsApp in its beta channel, but it’s now coming to regular users. There is still no information on support for WhatsApp passkeys on iPhones.
Android support will roll out over the coming weeks and months, according to the company. Passkeys can replace traditional passwords with your device’s own authentication methods.
Passkeys are already available to Apple and Google customers. Google has advised users to abandon passwords in favor of passkeys on their accounts.
To use passkeys, simply unlock your smartphone using a fingerprint, face scan, or pin. They are 40% faster than passwords and rely on a sort of cryptography that makes them more secure.
“But while they’re a big step forward, we know that new technologies take time to catch on, so passwords may be around for a little while,” the search giant said in a statement.
Google received great reaction when it added support for passkeys, a simpler and more secure way to authenticate into your accounts online, earlier this year.
Source:IANS