WeChat, the leading messaging app in China, has now implemented the passkey functionality for its iOS users located outside of China, Apple’s famous PassKeys. This update allows users to log into their accounts using Face ID or Touch ID, or their device’s passcode, bypassing the need to enter a conventional password.
WeChat strengthens security
Passkeys, which were first introduced with iOS 16, improve the security of user authentication. By leveraging device-based biometric verification, passkeys eliminate the risks associated with traditional passwords, such as phishing, because there are no passwords to crack.
Setting up a passkey requires users to have a device updated to at least iOS 16 or iPadOS 16, with iCloud Keychain and two-factor authentication enabled for their Apple ID. Enabling the passkey feature can be found in WeChat’s “Account & Security” settings, as shown in the support documentation of the Chinese application.
This initiative by WeChat, a subsidiary of Tencent, is part of the trend of technology giants to adopt access key systems, as other giants such as Google, PayPal, Microsoft and TikTok have already done. Currently, this advanced security feature is only available to users outside of China, with no confirmation yet of its potential rollout in the country.
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