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WeChat Rolls Out Passkey Support for iOS Users Outside China

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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.

Tags: Passkeys, WeChat

Top Rated Comments

2128506 Avatar
2128506
18 months ago
Yay, Chinese government can spy on you using Passkeys now. Nice!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
J
jaytv111
18 months ago

who introduced them (it wasn’t apple),

Apple introduced passkeys in iOS 16
Seems to be your misinterpretation, iOS is last I checked Apple's so it's correct to say Apple introduced passkeys in iOS. It certainly wasn't Microsoft introducing passkeys in iOS. It didn't say Apple invented passkeys or that they introduced passkeys to a nonspecific product.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
F
flyingember
18 months ago

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: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
mystery hill
18 months ago

Where you have to store it
The article doesn’t mention other places to store passkeys, but most readers would probably be using iCloud Keychain.


who introduced them (it wasn’t apple)
Apple were the first to use the term “passkeys” for WebAuthn credentials.
https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/5/23293643/apple-passkeys-fido-alliance-passwordless-google-microsoft


that you have to use biometrics to use them
It does say that you can use a passcode.

using Face ID, Touch ID, or their device passcode

that they protect from credential theft (depends on how the site uses them)
Only the public key is sent to the web server. The passkey is generated on the device and backed up to iCloud and synced to other devices using end-to-end encryption. This does offer protection in the event of credential theft compared to passwords.

There isn’t any password involved if using passkeys with iCloud Keychain.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H
Hank001
18 months ago

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)
H
Hank001
18 months ago

To a lot of websites I have two accounts. How does this work with passkeys?
Perhaps your other MR account can answer that question(?)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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