WhatsApp is introducing support for password verification on iOS, removing the need for users to manage one-time SMS passcodes. The iOS launch comes six months after WhatsApp introduced support for passkeys on Android. The company announced Wednesday that the feature is rolling out and will be available to all iOS users in the coming weeks.
Once enabled, iOS users can log back into WhatsApp using password verification via facial recognition, biometrics, or a PIN stored on Apple’s password manager.
Password logins make it harder for bad actors to access your accounts remotely because they would also need physical access to a phone. Access keys also eliminate the need for username and password combinations, which can be susceptible to phishing.
WhatsApp users can enable password verification by going to their app settings, navigating to the “Account” options and clicking the new “Access Keys” button to configure the verification method.
“Password verification will make reconnecting to WhatsApp easier and more secure. We’re excited to launch this on WhatsApp and provide users with an extra layer of security,” Alice Newton-Rex, WhatApp’s head of product, said in an emailed statement.
WhatsApp joins many other companies that have recently launched support for passwords, including X (formerly Twitter), Google, PayPal and TikTok.
techcrunch
