X, formerly known as Twitter, announced on Tuesday that it is expanding its passkey support to iOS users around the world. The platform, owned by Elon Musk, first introduced passkeys in January as a secure alternative to traditional passwords, but initially limited the feature to iOS users in the United States.
Now, three months post-launch, the social media platform is broadening access to users in various regions. At this time, passkeys are not available on the website or the Android app; however, a recent report indicated that the feature could soon be accessible to Android users as well.
The news was shared via a tweet from X’s official Safety account, which highlighted, “Passkeys is now available as a login option for everyone globally on iOS! Try it out.” While the rollout has begun, it may take a few days for all users to receive the update. Passkeys offer a modern approach to authentication by utilizing methods such as Face ID, fingerprint scans, PINs, or authenticator apps, thereby reducing reliance on traditional passwords vulnerable to hacking or data leaks.
This new login method enhances the user experience by eliminating the need to remember complex passwords and manually enter them upon each login. Although passkeys can be utilized across multiple devices, they are currently limited to iOS on the X platform.
According to a support page on X, passkeys are based on public key cryptography derived from the WebAuthentication standard. When users register an account, their device creates a unique key pair. The public key is stored on X, while the private key remains on the user’s device. During login, the private key is triggered, and the device must approve the authentication attempt.
iOS users can activate a passkey on X by navigating to Your account > Settings and privacy > Security and account access > Security > Additional password protection > Passkey. Here, users will need to enter their password, select Add a passkey, and follow the on-screen instructions. Deleting a passkey can be done using the same steps.
