What is a passkey ? 🗝️

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Hello there, how are you? What better way to start the week than with a #AskTheGriots 😁. Today, we’re going to talk about the famous « passkeys » 🔑 introduced on WhatsApp last week

Goodbye passwords 🚮

A passkey is an alternative to traditional passwords, offering a simpler and more secure method of logging in. It lets you log in to your account using your fingerprint, face or screen lock.

You don’t need to register them on a website or application. When you need to log in, the website or app sends a notification to your phone so you can validate the connection. Thanks to passkeys, you don’t have to remember your password or enter it when logging in.

Enhanced security 🔐

When the feature is activated, a form of ‘trusted partnership’ is created between a site or application and your smartphone, which becomes your trusted device. It’s this ‘partnership’ that keeps your data on a site secure. Unlike passwords, which can be guessed or hacked, passkeys offer more effective protection against threats such as phishing.

Access keys can be used on PCs running Windows 10 or 11 or macOS Ventura with a recent browser. Smartphones must be running at least Android 9 or iOS 16.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us in comments. Your favorite griots will answer them 😁