PayPal has announced its support for the Passkey feature on its Android platform, which aims to enhance user security and facilitate secure access to the service. Users of the Chrome browser on Android version 9 and above can create a passkey that can be used to log in to their PayPal accounts without the need to remember or enter a password. The company noted that passwords will still be an available option, but Passkeys represent a step towards a passwordless future for Android users.
Passkeys is a new technology that allows users to create accounts and log in without the need for passwords. Instead, when the user logs in for the first time to a website or application, two secure keys are created that link the user to the site or application. The first is a private key that is stored on the user's device and is not shared with any other party, and the public key is sent to the server of the site being accessed. When logging in, both the public and private keys are used to verify the user's identity.
The public and private keys are mathematically linked in a way that allows servers to verify the user's identity without the need to send the private key over the Internet. The public key stored on the server is of no value to any potential hackers if they manage to obtain it. Both keys are generated automatically, and the user does not need to know or remember them.
This process is managed by what is known as the authentication authority, which may be the user's phone or a password management application. The authentication authority can be secured using a master password or through biometric security measures such as fingerprints or facial recognition.
The company said that the Passkey login feature is currently available only to users in the United States, but it will work on expanding its availability to other countries.
