WhatsApp users on Android will soon be able to log in password-free

The Android version of WhatsApp will soon offer password-free access thanks to passkey support. — Photography Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP

The arrival of passkeys on WhatsApp is sure to help promote the uptake of this technology, which enables users to log on to an online service without having to enter a password. It is based on authentication through recognition of the user's face or fingerprint, and is due to roll out shortly on the Android version of the messaging application.

Passkeys take the form of unique digital keys, automatically generated and stored on your smartphone. They are activated automatically by biometrics, without the need to remember any kind of code or password. All the user has to do is identify themselves using their phone's fingerprint reader or facial recognition system. The idea is that these passkeys could eventually replace all our passwords.