WhatsApp Rolls Out Passkeys Support for iOS

WhatsApp is now bringing passwordless logins to iOS devices, with Meta announcing support for passkeys in the latest iOS version of the app. The feature, which will soon be available to all iOS users, removes the need for traditional SMS-based authentication methods.

Once enabled, the feature will allow iOS users to authenticate their WhatsApp account using iPhone biometrics such as Face ID or Touch ID. Moreover, users will have the option to use the PIN stored on Apple’s passkey manager to access Meta’s encrypted messaging app service.

The passkey support for iOS comes six months after Meta announced similar feature support for Android users in October 2023.

Emphasizing the benefits of passkey authentication, Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp’s head of product, said, “Passkey verification will make logging back into WhatsApp easier and more secure. We’re excited to launch this in WhatsApp and give users an added layer of security.”

To see if passkey verification is already available, iOS users can navigate to their WhatsApp “Settings,’’ click the “Account” option, and select “Passkeys” as the verification method.

Yet, users will still need their smartphone app whenever they wish to sign into WhatsApp on alternative devices “since Mac, Windows, and web can’t be primary devices for an account,” said WhatsApp spokesperson Zade Alsawah in a statement to The Verge.

Passkeys has gained prominence as an alternate and more secure login method, as it mitigates the risk associated with phishing or other remote credential stuffing attacks. By doing away with the traditional password and SM-based authentication option, a user can quickly log into any desired website or app without being connected to a network.

Since 2023, various internet-based companies, including Google, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter), have implemented support for passkeys across different operating systems.