WhatsApp now lets you log in with passkeys on Android

Constantly in fear that you'll forget your WhatsApp password? Worry no more, the app now lets you log in on Android with your face, fingerprint, or phone key instead.

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WhatsApp has made this possible by adding support for passkeys, a newer, more secure way of authentication than the old password which can be forgotten or stolen.

Passkeys are a type of passwordless authentication, in which the cryptographic key is saved on the device, in this case your Android smartphone. The possession of the Android phone thus becomes the first authentication factor, with the other being some sort of biometric authentication, in this case either a face scan, fingerprint scan, or your phone's pin.

Passkeys have recently been increasingly popular, with both Apple and Google gradually moving towards them and away from traditional passwords. For example, Apple is allowing users to sign into their Apple IDs on the web with a passkey instead of a password, and Google is using passkeys for logging into Google accounts.

WhatsApp is currently only allowing passkey authentication on Android devices; there's no word on when this feature might become available on Apple's iPhones.