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Passkeys are slowly becoming the new standard for logging into accounts. And that's a good thing, since they're secure. The latest to add support for them is X (previously known as Twitter), starting with iOS devices.
To set it up, navigate to Your account > Settings and privacy > Security and account access > Security on the X app. Under Additional password protection, click Passkey. Enter your password, select Add a passkey and follow the prompts.
Passkeys come from the FIDO Alliance—which includes Microsoft, Google, Apple, and others—and build off the multi-factor authentication(MFA) concept. Currently, when you log into an account, you provide a username (often an email) and password. But if someone stole your password (or you reused it and it got stolen elsewhere), they could get into your account. MFA minimizes that risk by involving a second device in the login process. But the process can be inconvenient and potentially insecure if you use SMS for a login code.
That potential for abuse is just one reason X gave for limiting SMS 2FA codes to X Premium subscribers. But passkeys improve on the process by simplifying the steps. Instead of providing a username and password followed by a one-time code, you just provide the username. A passkey login will skip past the password step to a biometric (such as fingerprint) or hardware key (like a Yubikey) authentication. Each site stores unique credentials on your device, which means hackers can't steal passwords. They'll have to steal your device to break into your accounts, at which point your problems are a lot worse anyway.
As X announced on its platform, the company now supports passkey login, but only on iOS devices in the US for now. The company didn't specify when the option would arrive on Android or in other countries. At least it doesn't require an X Premium subscription to use.