Apple expands support for “passwordless” login to FIDO

In early 2020, Apple joined the FIDO Alliance, an open industry association created to improve the compatibility of authentication methods and reduce reliance on traditional passwords. Apple, Google and Microsoft have now committed to expanding support for the FIDO standard by moving to a universal passwordless login method.

Created by FIDO and the World Wide Web Consortium, the new standard is designed to allow apps and websites to offer a unified and secure login experience across devices and platforms. As the alliance noted, password-only authentication is more prone to security breaches because many people have simple passwords or reuse them across different services.

The three companies believe that while improvements in password management and two-factor authentication have made digital life more secure, they can do even more to protect users.

Both Apple, Google, and Microsoft already provide support for the FIDO standard, but the current implementation still requires the user to sign into every app or website on every device before enabling the passwordless sign-in method. That’s why they will now expand support for this new sign-in standard in their products.

Soon, users will be able to access their FIDO credentials on all of their devices without having to re-register for each account. Authentication will also work regardless of platform or web browser. More importantly, FIDO credentials will be offered as a single sign-on option without the need for a password or recovery method.

Another addition to the standard is the ability to authenticate a new device with another nearby device that already has credentials.

FIDO Benefits

By replacing conventional passwords, the new FIDO standard makes users less vulnerable to phishing attacks because authentication is based on biometric data stored on the user’s device rather than a public password. It also eliminates the need for authentication codes sent via SMS, which can be spoofed by hackers.

As for Apple platforms, apps and websites already allow users to authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID instead of using a regular password. It’s worth noting that this technology is different from iCloud Keychain, which only uses biometrics to automatically fill in your password, not replace it.

There are no details on when extended FIDO support will arrive on Apple platforms, but we will most likely find out more about it at WWDC 2022 in June. Google says it is working to make the technology available for Chrome, ChromeOS and Android products, while Microsoft said it will build support for its apps and services.

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