WhatsApp for iOS is rolling out passwordless logins with passkeys

Another app joins the passwordless future promised. WhatsApp is adding passkey support to iOS.

Apple's Face ID or Touch ID or passcode may be used to connect to Meta's encrypted messaging app with the capability activated.

WhatsApp currently allows similar choices to unlock its iOS app, but this goes farther.

The iPhone version has passkey functionality months after Meta released it for Android WhatsApp in October.

Even if passkeys have drawbacks, they are meant to be the safe (or more secure) authentication method of the future, replacing passwords and SMS two-factor authentication.

This allows you to sign in even without a network as your phone carries the authentication key. WhatsApp says you may check if you have the capability under Settings > Account > Passkeys.

Alsaweh said users will still scan a QR code from the smartphone app's Linked Devices menu to log into WhatsApp on other platforms since Mac, Windows and web can't be primary devices for an account.

This is comparable to, if a bit clunkier than, how passkeys work when signing in to a service on desktop web browsers, but there, you just scan the QR code using your phone's default camera app.