WeChat Rolls Out Passkey Support for iOS Users Outside China

WeChat is introducing passkey support for its iOS app, allowing users outside of China to sign in to the country's dominant messaging platform using Face ID, Touch ID, or their device passcode instead of traditional passwords.

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Apple introduced passkeys in iOS 16 to provide users with a more secure and convenient authentication method than entering a password. Passkeys offer enhanced security by reducing common risks associated with traditional passwords, such as phishing attacks and credential theft. Since authentication occurs directly on the user's device using biometric data or their device passcode, there are no passwords to compromise or intercept.

To set up a passkey, WeChat users need an iPhone or iPad running iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 or later with iCloud Keychain and two-factor authentication enabled for their Apple Account. Users can enable the feature through WeChat's Account & Security settings, according to a new WeChat support document.

Tencent-owned WeChat joins a growing list of major platforms that have adopted passkey technology, including Google, PayPal, Microsoft, and TikTok. In WeChat, the feature is currently limited to users outside of China, and there's no word on if or when it might expand to the app's domestic Chinese version.

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Top Rated Comments

Hank001 Avatar
32 minutes ago at 04:50 am

Only one account here ?

But on Amazon for example I use a business account and a private account.
Sorry for trying to be funny. It's just...one of those days.

Anyway, I do the same. Multiple accounts. Sometimes just to see how others see my activity on a site.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
flyingember Avatar
2 hours ago at 03:16 am
So many partially right things in this article about passkeys.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
flyingember Avatar
1 hour ago at 04:02 am

Which part do you think is wrong?
Where you have to store it, who introduced them (it wasn’t apple), that you have to use biometrics to use them, implying you only store them in iCloud Keychain, that they protect from credential theft (depends on how the site uses them) and there’s no password involved

so basically everything

It wasn’t my first info but I went to a multi hour event hosted by the Fido alliance at RSAC and they were sharing future state of the tech at it. I work in identity and access management and am championing passkeys in my role
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2128506 Avatar
2 hours ago at 03:36 am
Yay, Chinese government can spy on you using Passkeys now. Nice!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)