X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday announced that iOS users in the United States can now log into their accounts using passkeys.
The decision to add support for passkey makes logging into X easier and prevents unauthorized access to accounts via phishing and other social engineering attacks. Passkey is a cutting-edge authentication method that uses device-generated cryptographic keys. It is generally regarded as superior to passwords.
“A passkey is a new, easy to use, and secure way to log in to your account – all from your device. Passkeys are more secure than traditional passwords since they’re individually generated by your device for each account,” X said.
X hasn’t released a timeline for the rollout of passkeys internationally or on other platforms besides iOS.
How Passkeys Work
X’s decision to introduce support for passkeys is crucial, considering the growing threat of account takeovers. Several reputable individuals and organizations, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and cybersecurity company Mandiant, had their X accounts hijacked this month.
Passkeys employ public key cryptography based on the WebAuthentication (“WebAuthn”) standard. When you choose to use a passkey on X, your device creates a distinct key pair — a public key and a private one. The public key is stored on X, while the private key is securely stored on your device.
To protect your account, your private key is never disclosed to X, which substantially decreases the chances of unauthorized access to your account. If your device is stolen, you can always access your account using your password, X explained. Also, since the iCloud Keychain syncs passkeys across your devices, you can still log in with another device.
X is the latest company to announce support for passkeys, following in the footsteps of Google, PayPal, and many others.
Developed by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium, passkeys have been described as the future of secure login. Tech giants Apple, Google, and Microsoft voiced their commitment to expanding support for passkey in 2022.
How to Set Up Your Passkey on X
To set up a passkey on your X account:
- Open the X app and log in to your account on your iOS device.
- Navigate to Account Settings, and go to “Your Account” in the navigation bar.
- Go to Security Settings, select “Settings and Privacy” > “Security and Account Access” > “Security.”
- Enable passkey under ‘”Additional Password Protection” > “Passkey.”
- Follow the on-screen prompts to generate and activate your Passkey.
Password managers are also updating their platforms to support passkey. Our leading password manager, NordPass, supports passkeys. The NordPass Passkey Holder is accessible across various platforms, including the desktop application, mobile apps, web vault, and browser extension.
Below, you can watch a visual representation of how PayPal uses passkeys:
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