WhatsApp for iOS Gains Support for Passkeys

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.

Whatsapp Feature
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.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...

Top Rated Comments

springsup Avatar
13 months ago
I’ve been moving everything I can to passkeys (as a replacement for telephone number/authentication app-dependent 2FA). It’s good but there are still 2 issues to be aware of:

1. They’re not portable. You cannot sync passkeys between an iCloud Keychain, or a Google account, or 1Password, etc. The standard has no mechanism for it - keys are bound to the keychain software you use when you make them - although it’s apparently something they’re looking in to.

You’re not completely locked-in, though. Accounts can have multiple passkeys (e.g. an iCloud one, a Google one, 1Password one, etc), but it’s a hassle to set that up. Also, you can use one device to authenticate a login from another device (e.g. if you want to login to an account on an Android device, you can get a prompt and confirm it on your iPhone which has the passkey).

2. Currently, most places only offer passkeys in addition to passwords, which kind of defeats the point. AFAIK only Microsoft accounts let you disable password logins entirely.

I get that this is probably a transitional thing, but I wish more places offered it as an option now. GitHub says they’ll likely offer that within a year. Hopefully they do, and hopefully all the early adopters follow suit.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BigBag Avatar
13 months ago
Sure would love to use Passkeys to log into an iPad app… if you get what I’m saying. (I’m saying I’d like an iPad app)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lozion Avatar
13 months ago
"passkeys on the iPhone and the iPad"?

iPad??
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
13 months ago

"passkeys on the iPhone and the iPad"?

iPad??
I updated this post so I'm not confusing anyone. Removed iPad mention.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
n-evo Avatar
13 months ago
I wish it gained support for the new iOS 17 notification sounds.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jasonsmith_88 Avatar
13 months ago

I don't get it. They have to verify the phone number first. After that, how many times are you going to be logging in? Maybe on a new phone but that's going to be rare.
I thought it was going to replace Two-Step Verification, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. It looks to purely be an alternative to receiving an SMS to authenticate.

Considering SMS authentication can’t be disabled, and the passkey can’t be used as a second factor, it provides zero additional security.

The fact it doesn’t replace 2FA is baffling. This is one of the key concepts of passkeys. Plus, WhatsApp is the only app in existence that constantly pesters me to confirm that I “remember” my PIN. In 2024 we shouldn’t be encouraging users to remember pins/passwords. This was bad practice 15 years ago. No, I don’t remember my PIN because it’s saved in my password manager. I know 2FA is enabled and I know where the PIN is. Give me the option to stop pestering me about it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)