Amazon rolls out passkey support

New Delhi Amazon is rolling out passkey support on browsers and mobile shopping apps (iOS users), making it easier and safer for the customers to access their accounts with passwordless sign-in.

Customers can now set up passkeys in their Amazon settings, allowing them to use the same face, fingerprint, or PIN used to unlock their device.

“This is about giving customers ease-of-use and security simultaneously in their Amazon experience,” said Dave Treadwell, senior vice president of ecommerce at Amazon.

“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,” Treadwell added.

Passkey support is available for all Amazon customers using browsers and is gradually rolling out on the iOS Amazon Shopping app with support coming soon on the Android Amazon Shopping app, the e-commerce giant said in a statement late on Monday.

Unlike passwords, passkeys cannot be written down or guessed, helping to prevent the accidental sharing of a passkey with a hacker.

“When a customer uses a passkey on their device, it proves they have their device and are able to unlock it. Customers no longer need to worry about remembering unique passwords or using easy-to-guess identifiers, like names or birthdays,” said Amazon. A customer can use passkeys to sign in to apps and sites the same way they unlock their devices -- with a fingerprint, face scan, or lock screen PIN.

Passkeys are also less susceptible to phishing attacks than passwords and one-time codes in text messages, making them a more secure option, said the company.