Passkeys are coming to Facebook and Messenger on mobile
Meta is rolling out passkey support for Facebook and Messenger on mobile devices, making logins smoother and more secure. Instead of typing a password, you’ll use the same verification methods you already have on your phone – like a PIN, fingerprint or face scan.Passkeys will soon be available on both iOS and Android for Facebook, with Messenger getting the feature in the coming months. Once set up, the same passkey works for both apps.
It takes less than a minute to set up a passkey. | Image credit – Meta
Setting up a passkey is simple. You can create and manage yours in the Accounts Center inside Facebook’s Settings menu. Of course that is once the feature is rolled out to you.
It’s safer, faster and harder to hack than your usual password
Video credit – Meta
Passkeys are a way better alternative to regular passwords because they can’t be stolen, guessed or leaked. They also protect you from phishing scams – those sneaky tricks where bad actors try to get you to enter your info on fake sites. Since your browser links your passkey to a specific website, it won’t work on phony login pages.The passkey itself, along with your fingerprint, face scan or PIN used to create it, stays safely on your device. Meta never sees, stores or shares this info.
Actually, Facebook has been pretty slow to roll out passkeys compared to others. Google and Apple have had this feature for years, and X jumped in last year. Microsoft, Amazon, eBay, PayPal and lots of others already support passkeys, too.
Even Meta’s other app, WhatsApp, has started letting users log in with passkeys. Instagram, however, is still holding out. So, Facebook finally adding passkeys is a big step forward for better security on the platform.
About time and very welcome
With online threats lurking everywhere, having stronger protection is more important than ever. I mean, just recently, a huge data breach leaked 16 billion login credentials, including ones tied to Apple and Google – and Meta isn’t immune either.
There are plenty of stories about stolen accounts and I’m sure you know someone who has been through it. And passkeys offer a solid way to help stop that from happening. Better late than never, right?
