This fall, iOS 16 will arrive with many exciting new features, from customizable lock screens to improved notification systems, the ability to unsend messages, and more.
However, and although it went unnoticed at WWDC last June, there is a very important novelty that will soon arrive on our iPhones.
With the public release of iOS 16, slated for mid-September to coincide with the release of the upcoming iPhone 14, Apple is introducing technology that will make passwords obsolete.
The idea is simple. Instead of logging into an app or website with a password, you will be prompted to enter a password. It’s basically a digital key stored on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, authenticated using Face ID or Touch ID depending on the device, and synced between your Apple devices using iCloud Keychain.
Convenience and technological advancements are achieved, and Apple’s senior platform product marketing manager Kurt Knight explained in an interview that “Face ID and Touch ID verification gives you convenience and biometrics that we can get with an iPhone. You don’t have to buy another device, but you don’t have to learn anything new either.”
Admittedly, this doesn’t sound too different from using a password manager with Face ID authentication enabled, but this is where things get interesting. The digital keys created are only saved on your devices and cannot be read by anyone, not even Apple itself.
This is a big step forward when it comes to data breaches, hacks, and phishing attacks. Phishing in order to access user accounts, since there is no “password” to steal. If all goes well, this could be the end of the list of increasingly complex passwords to remember every day.
But while the technology is available on compatible devices running iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura, don’t expect all your passwords to disappear at once.
As with the company’s “Sign in with Apple” feature, which speeds up the registration and login process for supported apps, it’s up to developers to add the feature to their apps and websites.
It’s likely to be available with services like App Store verification, but it will take longer to access apps like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. It remains to be seen how long we will have to wait.
There are also questions about how it will work when logging into an app or site on an Android or Windows device.
“The cross-platform experience is super easy,” Knight said. Tom’s Guide. “Let’s say you have an iPhone, but want to sign in on a Windows PC. You will have access to a QR code which you then simply scan with your iPhone and then you can use Face ID or Touch ID on your phone.”
It’s worth noting that Google and Microsoft have also been working on passwordless technology for the past few years, but it looks like Apple is out first.
Are you going to switch to Apple passkey technology? Or will you wait to see what Google and Microsoft come up with?
Original article published in Tech Advisor.
