Passkeys - NEWS POLITE

WhatsApp Passkey Support for iOS Spotted in Development, to Work on Phones Running iOS 17

WhatsApp is working on adding support for passkeys to iOS, according to a feature tracker. The popular messaging service owned by Meta is bringing support for passkeys — a passwordless authentication technology that allows you to log in with your biometrics — to WhatsApp for iOS. The passkeys feature was previously added to WhatsApp for Android, but it looks like the feature will soon be available on WhatsApp for iOS. Users who are running on the latest version of iOS should be able to access the feature with a future update.

Feature tracker WABetaInfo spotted a new passkey-related menu in the latest version of WhatsApp beta for iOS 2.24.2.73, which suggests that the support for the feature will come to iOS soon. The Android version of the app already allows users to set up a passkey that can be used to quickly log back into their account on the same device.

WhatsApp’s passkey menu on iOS is currently inaccessible
Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

A passkey is a hardware-backed authentication mechanism designed by the FIDO Alliance along with major firms like Apple, Google, and Microsoft that uses cryptography on a user’s device for passwordless sign-ins that are authenticated with Touch ID or Face ID, while cutting the risks of phishing attacks. On Android, WhatsApp passkeys are stored securely in Google’s password manager — it is expected to use Apple’s Keychain system on iOS.

While the latest version of WhatsApp beta for iOS includes code for the new passkey menu, you can’t actually create one as the functionality hasn’t been enabled. WhatsApp will first roll out the feature to users on the beta testing channel (via TestFlight) before it brings passkey support to all users on the stable version of the app.

However, not all iOS users will have access to passkeys. While passkeys are supported on Android phones running Android 9 or newer, only iPhone models that are running on iOS 17 will support third party access to passkeys. This means that if you have an iPhone XR or newer that is updated to iOS 17, you will be able to use passkeys in the future to log back into your WhatsApp account with Face ID or Touch ID.

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WhatsApp Introduces Support for Passkeys on Android, Enables Face or Fingerprint-Based Logins

WhatsApp is rolling out support for passkeys on Android, allowing users to securely log back in to their accounts using biometric authentication or their device PIN. Previously, WhatsApp would require users to log in to their account using a one-time password (OTP) and an optional six-digit PIN for two-factor authentication. With the addition of passkeys support, Android users will now be able to use their phone’s built-in face or fingerprint recognition feature to log back in to their account with a passkey stored on their device.

A week after Google revealed that it planned to eliminate the use of passwords across its services while introducing support for passkeys on Android and the web, WhatsApp announced support for passkeys on Android via X (formerly known as Twitter). It is worth noting that the existing fingerprint lock option will remain available and users can still choose to log in by entering their phone number and entering an OTP.

What are passkeys?

A passkey is a secure alternative to using a password that will allow you to login to apps and services. Instead of typing in a password and a secure OTP, you can use your fingerprint or PIN on your smartphone to verify that you — the owner of the account — are trying to login.

It is a Fast IDentity Online (FIDO) “secret” that is stored on a device like a smartphone and used to log in to websites in place of passwords. Passkeys rely on two technologies that work simultaneously — public key cryptography and biometric authentication on your smartphone.

Thanks to the use of public key cryptography, your passkey never leaves your device and remains protected even if WhatsApp’s server is hacked — there are no passwords to steal. Due these security benefits. other companies like Adobe, Amazon, GitHub, Google, PayPal and Uber are working on — or are already allowing — logins via passkeys.

WhatsApp passkey support on the latest beta version of the app for Android phones

“Passkey verification will make logging back into WhatsApp easier and more secure. We’re excited to launch this on WhatsApp and give users an added layer of security,” WhatsApp Head of Product Alice Newton-Rex previously said.

How to create a passkey on WhatsApp for Android

In order to enable passkeys on WhatsApp for Android, you can open WhatsApp, navigate to the settings menu and tap on Account > Passkeys > Create a passkey. You can then read the popup message that informs you how passkeys function, then tap Continue. Another popup from Google Password Manager will ask if you want to create a passkey for WhatsApp — tap Continue and Use screen lock to enable logging in using your phone’s screen lock method. You can now see the passkey generated via WhatsApp.

Gadgets 360 was able to confirm that support for passkeys was enabled on WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.23.21.12, with support for seamless logins using biometric authentication. Users who are running the latest version of WhatsApp from the stable channel might have to wait a little longer before the feature is enabled on their smartphones.

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Google Passkeys Now Offered as Default Login Option for Personal Google Accounts: How it Works

Google has announced that it has begun prompting users to set up passkeys on their devices, months after the company added support for the secure login mechanism across its services. The switch to passkeys is part of a larger trend of moving away from passwords that tend to be insecure, to passkeys — a ‘passwordless’ but secure alternative that allows you to login to apps and services using biometric authentication on your smartphone and other devices. Passkeys are also resistant to phishing, which means they should keep you safer while browsing the Internet.

According to a blog post published by Google on Tuesday, you will soon be prompted to create a passkey, which will be used to streamline the process of logging into your Google account. A passkey is a Fast IDentity Online (FIDO) secret that is stored on a device like a smartphone or a password that can be used to log in to websites, services, and apps. Instead of relying on passwords, it uses public key cryptography and biometric authentication on your smartphone.

Passkeys will use your face, fingerprint or device PIN to log in to your account
Photo Credit: Google

A new option called “Skip password when possible” will be enabled in your Google account, and the company will prompt you to create a passkey when you attempt to sign in to your account in the future. Doing so will save a passkey to your device that can be used securely — using a form of authentication, such as facial recognition, a fingerprint scan or a device PIN to authenticate your identity.

In a separate post, Google explains that the company plans to completely eliminate passwords in the future, along with what it calls “Band-Aids” that were created to make up for insecure passwords like multi-factor authentication apps and SMS codes. The private key stored on your device will be used in tandem with public cryptography to confirm your identity, without actually revealing the contents of the passkey to the server.

Passkeys are also safer than regular passwords because they don’t require users to remember long and unique passwords for various web services. Instead, the system uses two components to authenticate — your device, where the passkey is stored, and your biometrics. This means that passkeys also offer a second form of authentication that confirm you are in possession of your device — as some users might have concerns about what happens if their device is stolen.

WhatsApp will soon add support for logging in with a passkey
Photo Credit: Google

Google also points to wider adoption of passkeys by the industry, citing WhatsApp Head of Product Alice Newton-Rex stating that support for passkeys is coming to WhatsApp — the feature is already in beta testing. Uber and Ebay have also added support for passkeys, while password management services have already built support for passkeys, alongside iOS 17 and Android 14 that were recently rolled out to users.

If you’re not sure about switching to passkeys right away, Google will allow you opt out of using the feature — for now. You can do this by disabling the “Skip password when possible” toggle in your Google account settings. It’s worth remembering that the feature is enabled by default so you will have to manually disable after logging in to your Google account, if you don’t want to use passkeys with your Google account.

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WhatsApp Passkey Support Reportedly Rolling Out to Beta Testers on Android: How It Works

WhatsApp has begun rolling out support for a new feature that will allow you to log in to your account using the biometric authentication mechanism on your smartphone. The messaging service will soon allow you to create a passkey — a kind of login credential that eliminates the need to use or remember a password — on your device and use it to securely log in to apps and services using the facial recognition or fingerprint scanner on your device.

Feature tracker WABetaInfo spotted the new passkey feature on WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.20.4 on Tuesday, that is rolling out to beta users. However, not all users who have updated to the latest beta release will have access to the feature, which is reportedly rolling out to a “limited number of beta testers”. Gadgets 360 was unable to access the feature on two different Android smartphones that are both enrolled in the beta program.

The new Passkeys feature on WhatsApp
Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

The new passkey feature is described as a “simple way to sign in safely” to WhatsApp in a screenshot shared by the feature tracker. This suggests that it could be used to help sign in to other devices via secure authentication on your primary device.

Authenticating using passkeys isn’t a novel concept and the technology is slowly gaining traction online— Google already allows you to log in to a new device by using fingerprint-based biometric authentication for passkeys in place of a password. These passkeys are securely stored on your device and used when biometric authentication is provided.

The screenshot posted by WABetaInfo also states that WhatsApp will store the passkey in the device’s password manager — for most users, that would be the device’s default password store that is handled by Google with autofill support. The feature is also expected to make its way to iOS, where it is likely to be stored in the iOS Keychain.

It is currently unclear whether WhatsApp will also support storing passkeys in third-party apps like Bitwarden, 1Password, or Dashlane. We can expect to learn more about how the feature works when it is rolled out to more users in the beta program and the feature is expected to arrive on all smartphones on the stable channel in the future.

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Windows 11 Preview Adds Biometric Login for Websites and Apps via Windows Hello: Details

Windows 11 will soon add support for biometric authentication for logging in to websites, and functionality for the feature has been spotted on the latest preview version of the operating system. Microsoft already allows users to log in to their PC using their face, fingerprint, or a PIN, and the new functionality will let users seamlessly sign in to a site or application with passkeys support, without entering a password. Unlike traditional passwords, passkeys are considered a secure option as they cannot be stolen from a hacked server, and support for password-less logins is already available on iOS and Android.

In a recent blog post announcing the rollout of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23486, Microsoft states that users can now visit an app or a website with support for password-less logins on Windows — such as Ebay, Google, and Best Buy — and create a passkey from their account settings. They can then sign in to their account again using the newly created passkey using a face, fingerprint, or PIN via Windows Hello.

According to the company, users can also sign in to websites by creating and saving a passkey on their smartphone while using Microsoft Edge, then visiting a website on their Windows PC and log in to the website using the passkey stored on their handset.

In order to easily manage and control the use of password-less logins on Windows, Microsoft says users can access all passkeys via the Windows Settings app. The controls for passkeys is located at Settings > Accounts > Passkeys, and the section will show a list of all passkeys saved on the PC. Individual website passkeys can be searched and deleted from the same menu, according to the company.

The introduction of passkeys and password-less logins is expected to improve security for users as passwords aren’t saved on a website’s server, protecting users’ logins from being stolen during a data breach. According to Microsoft, the latest passkey login for websites and apps is supported on Insider Preview Build 23486, which means that users on the stable channel will have to wait for a while before it is rolled out by the company.

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Google Password Manager Gets Passkey Support for Android, Chrome

Google announced on Wednesday that the developers can now test Google Password Manager’s passkey support on Android and Chrome. Passkeys are designed as a safer alternative to passwords and traditional two-factor authentication methods. Google claims that passkeys cannot be reused, won’t leak in server breaches, and protect users from phishing attacks. Since passkeys have been developed using industry standards, they will offer a uniform user experience across Windows, macOS and iOS, and ChromeOS. The company expects to release a stable version of this feature later this year.

As mentioned earlier, Google has revealed that passkeys on Android and Chrome are currently only available to developers via Google Play Services beta and Chrome Canary. Normal users are expected to get this feature by the end of 2022.

Passkeys in the Google Password Manager are designed to work on different operating systems and browser ecosystems. They are compatible with both websites and applications, and feature a similar interface as to password autofill.

For end-users, passkeys will appear similar to using a password today. Furthermore, passkeys will always be end-to-end encrypted. Users will have to set up a screen lock via fingerprint, face, PIN, or pattern to prevent others from using passkeys even if they have access to a smartphone.

Passkeys will then be backed up and synced through the cloud to prevent users from getting locked out if they lose their devices. Recovering a passkey would require users to enter the screen PIN, password, or pattern of another device with access to the passkey encryption.

Google claims that the screen lock PINs, passwords, or patterns for the passkeys will be stored in secure hardware enclaves. However, Google or any other entity will not be able to read this data. If a malicious user fails to enter the correct information 10 or more times, the passkey will become unusable. However, the original user will still be able to recover it using an existing device.

The company has promised to deliver even more updates to Android in 2023 and plans to allow third-party authenticators to support passkeys.

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