X (formerly Twitter), is actively testing access password support for its Android app. A passwordless authentication mechanism is already available for Apple iPhone users.
Passwords essentially remove the need to enter a password. While users can save their login credentials, Passkeys improves security by eliminating the need to enter traditional passwords across multiple devices.
How do passwords work and what are their advantages?
Passkeys is a back-end user authentication system. Google released the Passkeys feature last year. X (Twitter) started adding support for login passwords, but limited the feature to its iOS app.
Apart from a fingerprint scanner and a front-facing camera, smartphones don’t need any advanced hardware to support passcodes. After activation, the feature generates two cryptographic keys for each account.
While one key is external-facing and shared with the accompanying website or applications, the other is considered a “private key” that is stored locally. Users can rely on the Passkeys option during the application process.
Instead of users typing in a username and password combination, Passkeys relies on the interaction between a private and public key to authenticate users.
Passwords are available and valid on all compatible devices. Moreover, these complex strings of encrypted data are not stored or shared with servers, thus increasing security. This feature could significantly reduce the effectiveness of phishing attacks and minimize data breaches through account compromise.
How to enable passwords for X on iOS and Android?
While X (Twitter) introduced the Passkeys feature in January this year, the social media platform limited it to the Apple iOS version. A blogger recently discovered code snippets that hint at the viability of this feature for X’s Android app within X/Twitter v10.32.0-beta. Needless to say, the Passkeys feature for the Android app is not yet available to the general public. However, users can expect the feature to be included in an app update soon. The beta version suggests that the passwords could be accessed through Settings & Privacy > Security and Account Access > Security.
NEWS: Password support is coming to Android! https://t.co/KO2AT60FQh pic.twitter.com/n1XbeX4KsT
— X News Daily (@xDaily) March 9, 2024
Does the username and password combination work for user authentication?
A growing number of websites, gaming platforms and Windows 11 apps support passwords. Anything that improves security and reduces friction between users and the platform is always welcome. However, the traditional combination of username and password is not going away. Most online platforms that support access passwords guarantee that they will allow users to enter their credentials. However, it is possible that the traditional method may be considered as an alternative or replacement, in case Passkeys fails.
The top-level settings page for “passwords and accounts” has been renamed to “passwords, passwords, and autofill” in Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 to show that Credential Manager also supports passwords. pic.twitter.com/HOScrmcwiz
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) March 8, 2024