www.macrumors.com/2024/04/24/whatsapp-ios-passkey-support/

WhatsApp for iOS Gains Support for Passkeys

Wednesday April 24, 2024 4:40 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp today announced that it is rolling out support for passkeys on iOS, a feature that will let WhatsApp users log in to their accounts on iOS devices using Face ID, Touch ID, or their device passcode.

Passkeys serve as a replacement for a traditional password, and because device authentication is required, passkeys put a stop to online attacks like phishing. With a passkey, there’s no password to steal, and no one-time SMS or authentication code that can be intercepted.

Passkeys are also more convenient, because logins are done with a quick ‌Face ID‌ or ‌Touch ID‌ scan rather than a password. WhatsApp passkeys can be enabled by opening up the app settings, choosing the Account section, and tapping on “Passkeys.”

Apple has supported passkeys since 2022, and they work on devices that run iOS 16 and later, iPadOS 16 and later, and macOS Ventura and later. Many companies have been implementing support for passkeys, including X (formerly Twitter), Google, TikTok, PayPal, Best Buy, Microsoft, PlayStation, and eBay.