WhatsApp adds global support for passkeys on iOS

WhatsApp is introducing support for passkey verification on iOS, removing the need for users to deal with SMS one-time passcodes. The iOS launch comes six months after WhatsApp introduced passkey support on Android. The company announced on Wednesday that the feature is rolling out now and will be available to all iOS users in the coming weeks.

Once enabled, iOS users can log back into WhatsApp using passkey verification via facial recognition, biometrics or a PIN stored on Apple’s passkey manager.

Passkey logins make it harder for bad actors to remotely access your accounts, since they would also need physical access to a phone. Passkeys also remove the need to rely on username and password combinations, which can be susceptible to phishing.

WhatsApp users can enable passkey verification by going into their app settings, navigating to the “Account” options, and clicking on the new “Passkeys” button to set up the verification method.

“Passkey verification will make logging back into WhatsApp easier and more secure. We’re excited to launch this on WhatsApp and give users an added layer of security,” said WhatApp’s head of product, Alice Newton-Rex, in an emailed statement.

WhatsApp joins numerous other companies that have launched passkey support recently, including X (formerly Twitter), Google, PayPal and TikTok.