After Android, it is around iOS to soon receive an updated version of WhatsApp. The famous messaging application is preparing support for passkeys on the iPhone.
In the near future, the WhatsApp application for iPhone will receive an update that will offer a new way to connect. Indeed, the study of a beta version of messaging on iOS shows the presence of a module for managing passkeys – or access keys, in French. It is, to put it quickly, the future of passwords.
The password has been the classic way to log in somewhere for decades. The problem is that the password has major flaws, caused by the Internet user himself. It’s never very long, it’s never very complex, it’s never really unique. We can guess it or steal it with phishing.
Passkey solves password problems, with solutions for all these weaknesses. There is no need to memorize it, it is solid by default and it does not offer any chance of phishing. Google, Microsoft and Apple have joined forces to deploy passkeys in operating systems and the rest of the ecosystem is gradually adopting them.
Passkeys on WhatsApp for iPhone, after Android
The proof with WhatsApp for iPhone. This transition was spotted by the WABetaInfo site, which examines in detail the versions in development of the messaging to detect any changes. To tell the truth, the discovery made by WABetaInfo was expected. After all, passkeys in WhatsApp have already arrived on the Android side.
Regarding the Google operating system for smartphones, the access keys on WhatsApp are located in the settings, in the “Account” section, then… “Access keys”. From there, a whole rather accessible process must be followed by clicking on the “Create Access Key” button.
Access keys are based on encrypted digital keys, generated locally, i.e. within the device. These keys use the Internet user’s biometric data. This can be the fingerprint, or facial recognition, two common methods in this field. We use it, for example, to unlock our phone.
Biometrics is likely to be the primary means of generating and using passports. However, alternative approaches exist — a PIN code or a security key — to accommodate people who refuse to use their body or due to the absence of a sensor. The attack is planned by WhatsApp.
If the passkeys are not intended to be memorized by Internet users, this does not mean that these keys will not be kept somewhere. So, so that individuals can use it to log in from other devices (and not just from those that were used to generate the keys), password managers are joining the fray.
Among the best password managers on the market, several services have already taken the plunge: NordPass, 1Password, Dashlane, LastPas, Bitwarden or even KeePass (with KeePassXC). Others, like Proton Pass, must also get involved. More and more, this is becoming an essential option.
The best password managers
See all MDP managers
If you liked this article, you will like the following: don’t miss them by subscribing to Numerama on Google News.