No more need for a password to connect to WhatsApp! Instant messaging will make it possible to use access keys (passkeys), a more reliable and simpler technology using biometric authentication.
Internet giants are gradually moving towards a future without passwords. After Google and Windows, it is WhatsApp’s turn to inaugurate connection to its Android application with passkeys – also called access keys –, a convenient and reliable technology that allows you to connect in the blink of an eye, securely, without having to worry about your password, through biometric sensors, a smartphone lock PIN code or electronic physical authentication keys. In addition to the password, passkeys also replace two-factor authentication (2FA), making identification even faster and more efficient when setting up access to WhatsApp on another device . The function has been in the testing phase since this summer, with a public beta launched last August. And the tests were obviously conclusive, since Meta messaging announced the deployment of passkeys for all of its users. This is done gradually, so you may have to wait a little before taking advantage of it. Additionally, the feature is only available on the Android version of WhatsApp, not iOS. Users will be prompted to configure their security keys over the coming weeks. Of course, those who wish can keep their usual authentication methods.
Using passkeys, the user sets a device – usually their smartphone – as the primary authentication system on sites and apps. When registering or changing the connection method, the smartphone generates two encrypted keys: a public key transmitted to the service provider, and a private key stored in the phone. This private key allows the website or app to authenticate it by unlocking the device through regular authentication methods, such as PIN, pattern, facial recognition, or fingerprint. To put it simply, instead of entering a password, just use the usual unlocking method on your main device!
But why seek to create a future without passwords? Because passkeys have many advantages. Starting, obviously, with their practical aspect. No need to remember or enter a long and complex sesame: the connection is instantaneous! But more importantly: access keys offer much better protection against cybercriminals than passwords. Indeed, they are often too weak, reused on several sites and accounts, and can be compromised after a successful phishing. Solutions have indeed been put in place to address these weaknesses, such as double authentication – which is not infallible – and password managers – which can be hacked – but the risks still exist, especially in these times. where pirates are showing more and more imagination. A great improvement for WhatsApp and its two billion users, who constitute a privileged target for cybercriminals.
It’s been a while since the FIDO alliance – a consortium of large technology companies, government agencies, service providers, financial institutions, payment processors and other industries, including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, PayPal and Google (see our article) – is working on technology to eliminate the use of passwords such as passkeys. These tech giants then decided to port it to their respective operating systems. Recent versions of Windows, iOS, macOS and Android are all compatible with access keys, which accelerates their popularization. However, the password is not dead yet! Yes, it remains mandatory when creating an account… and can still be useful, especially if you lose the devices on which the access keys are hosted!