X adds passkey support for added security, but only on iPhone

X, the social network previously known as Twitter, has rolled out support for passkey authentication via its iPhone app. While the feature is currently only available on the iPhone we can of course expect it to roll out to other platforms, but the Eloon Musk-owned social network has not confirmed when we should expect that to happen.

The move comes shortly after it was confirmed that the SEC's account was compromised via SIM-swap hack and the lack of any multi-factor authentication but it isn't clear whether this move to add passkey support is related to that.

Passkeys are seen by some as a long-term replacement for usernames and passwords because they don't require that users remember any credentials. Instead, a passkey is generated by the user's device and stored and protected locally. Passkeys are then authenticated using biometric security such as Face ID or Touch ID.

Creating a passkey on an iPhone will see it saved to iCloud and automatically synced between devices unless an alternative password manager like 1Password is being used. Apple has so far been one of the biggest proponents of passkeys with support available across all of its platforms including the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Those who want to make use of passkeys will need to make sure that they have the latest version of the iPhone app installed from the App Store and then head into its privacy settings to choose the Additional Password Protection option. The ability to add a passkey to your X account will be found there. It's important to note that the feature is only available to X users in the United States at launch, however.