Amazon Adds Support for Passkeys, Allowing for More Secure Logins

Amazon today announced that it has added passkey support to its desktop sites and mobile apps, allowing customers to sign in to their accounts without the need for a password.

Passkeys are a more secure alternative to passwords because a passkey cannot be shared with another person through a phishing attempt or leaked online through a database hack. Passkeys do not require customers to remember a password or add a two-factor authentication code, but they do require a verified device.

Passkeys can be set up in the Amazon settings, and on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, logging in to an Amazon account can be done with a Face ID or Touch ID scan once the feature is turned on. To enable it, go to Your Account > Login and Security, and choose the Set up option next to Passkeys.

Apple implemented support for passkeys with iOS 16 and macOS Ventura. Passkeys work through a public key that's stored on a website server and paired with a private key that's kept on a specific device. On Apple's devices, passkeys are authenticated with ‌Face ID‌ or ‌Touch ID‌, and two keys must match to allow for a user to log in.

Passkeys rely on iCloud Keychain, which in turn requires two-factor authentication for further protection. Passkeys sync across all of a user's iPhone, ‌iPad‌, and Mac devices, but they can also be used on non-Apple devices through a QR code system.

Amazon says that passkey support is available today for all Amazon customers using browsers, and that it will be rolling out to the Amazon app for iOS devices in the near future.