X Reportedly Working to Bring Passkey Support to Its Android App

The beta version of the Android app of X reportedly shows multiple references for passkey support.

Written by Akash Dutta, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 13 March 2024 16:21 IST

Photo Credit: Reuters

A screenshot of the beta Android app of X shows an option to activate passkeys

Highlights

X earlier introduced passkey support for iOS devices
Passkey is a passwordless login authentication method
Passkeys use PIN, biometrics, and similar processes

X (formerly known as Twitter) might soon bring passkeys support to its Android app, as per a report. The social media platform introduced passkeys, which is an alternative method to log into user accounts without requiring passwords, on iOS devices in January, and now it might soon be available to Android users as well. The feature is reportedly in beta testing at the moment and was spotted in the public beta build of the app. It is likely to be rolled out globally in the coming weeks.

Spotted by AssembleDebug via The SP Android, the support for passkeys on the Android app of X was seen in a couple of strings of codes in the latest beta release — beta version 10.32.0-beta — as well as in the beta app itself. Passkeys are being introduced in addition to existing security measures such as two-factor authentication (2FA) and password reset protection. It appears within the app as the screenshot shared below.

Passkey feature in the beta version of X's Android app
Photo Credit: The SP Android

As per the report, one such line of code mentions “Enable Passkeys for added protection that may be tied to your biometrics.” This part was the summary of a new setting item that lets users turn on the passkey feature. After the feature has rolled out, it will reportedly be available in Settings and privacy > Security and account access > Security. The option is available at the bottom of the menu under the Additional password protection section.

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Notably, X users on iOS already have this feature as it debuted in January this year. There was no word on when it was coming for Android users, however, the latest beta release points that the global release should be close. There is no update on the release date for the feature.

Passkeys have become a popular method to circumvent the limitations of traditional passwords. Passwords are considered prone to be hacked and remembering a random string of alphanumeric characters can often be difficult. Passkeys instead rely on alternative methods including Face ID, fingerprint, PIN, an authenticator app, or another device. Biometric protection is considered more secure than other options but all of the methods offer better security compared to passwords.

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Further reading: Twitter, X, Passkey

Akash Dutta Email Akash Dutta

Akash Dutta is a Senior Sub Editor at Gadgets 360. He is particularly interested in the social impact of technological developments and loves reading about emerging fields such as AI, metaverse, and fediverse. In his free time, he can be seen supporting his favourite football club - Chelsea, watching movies and anime, and sharing passionate opinions on food. More