Amazon brings passwordless feature to its shopping app, website

Setting up Passkeys is a one-time process and once done, users never have to waste time remembering complex alphanumeric passwords for different accounts.

Since the beginning of the year Microsoft, Google, Apple, and WhatsApp have all introduced passwordless feature 'Passkeys' to their respective platforms.

Now, American e-commerce major Amazon has introduced Passkeys to its website and iOS app.

What is Passkeys?

Passkeys is a short user ID alternative for online accounts. This is a one-time process and once done, users never have to waste time remembering complex alphanumeric passwords for different accounts.

Passkeys are more secure compared to conventional passwords and this also eliminates the need for OTP.

Once the Passkey is set up, whenever a user visits a website, the medium, be it a phone or a desktop, already knows who the person is. It will authenticate the User ID and password. And, user can just log in to the account via the device's security system such as fingerprint sensor/FaceID on phones or Windows Hello on PCs.

Even if the device does not have any of those biometric security features, he/she just has to remember the screen pattern or the PIN code of the device's lock screen.

“This is about giving customers ease-of-use and security simultaneously in their Amazon experience. While passwords will still be around in the foreseeable future, this is an exciting step in the right direction. We are thrilled to be an early adopter of this new authentication method, helping to realize our vision for a more secure, passwordless internet,” said Dave Treadwell, senior vice president of e-commerce at Amazon.

Here's how to set up Passkeys on Amazon website and app:

Step 1: Log in to the Amazon app/website >> Go to Your Account

Step 2: Choose Login & Security, select Set up next to Passkeys, and follow the quick step-by-step instructions.

Once you have added a passkey to the account, you can sign in with a passkey on supported devices or browsers using the lock screen PIN or biometrics to confirm your identity.

For now, the Passkeys feature is being rolled out through the Amazon app update to iPhones in phases. The company will bring the same security feature to the Android platform soon.

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