WhatsApp is close to eliminating passwords
The social networking application WhatsApp gives users of devices running the Android operating system a simpler way to access their accounts, using what is known as passkeys, which could be the beginning of the end for the era of user identity verification, via passwords, or two-stage verification.
With the use of the new method of logging in, which is expected to be added to the rest of the applications in the coming period, two billion users of the WhatsApp application can access their accounts in the same way as unlocking their smartphone, whether using the password, the user’s face, or fingerprint.
Although it is not clear whether this new feature will be added to the WhatsApp version for devices running the iOS operating system, Google, Apple, and Microsoft are working on using passkey technology as an alternative to the password to access accounts on the platforms and applications of these companies. .
Once the passkey feature is activated on an application, the user no longer needs to remember the password or confirm his identity using complex two-factor authentication.
WhatsApp, a subsidiary of Meta Platforms Group, which owns the social media network WhatsApp, says that the user will need Android version 9 or later, in addition to linking to a Google account with the latest version of the Play Store online store, so that he can add the passkey feature to the WhatsApp application. The user also needs to activate the phone screen lock feature.
WhatsApp's announcement of adding the new feature came at a time when the American e-commerce giant Amazon.com announced the addition of a passkey feature to access online shopping accounts.
For some Amazon users, this feature appears in the “My Account” area under the “Registration and Security” category.
It is noteworthy that the "FIDO" alliance, which includes Google, Apple, and Microsoft, is developing the passkey technology so that it remains independent from any single giant technology company.