You Can Finally Log Into Twitter for iPhone With a Passkey

Twitter (erm, X) is no bastion of user privacy and security in 2024. But even as the company leaks your data without your knowledge, apparently they’re still capable of adding features that actually make your account more secure—at least if you use X on an iPhone.

The company now supports logging into your X account on iOS with passkeys, which is pretty cool. If you haven’t heard of passkeys, make sure to check out our guide on the subject, but here’s a quick summary: A passkeys is an authentication key that is cryptographically stored on your personal device. Instead of needing to enter a password to log into an account set up with a passkey, you basically prove that you have access to the device with the passkey. That means you can use Face ID, Touch ID, or your iPhone’s PIN to authenticate yourself, and gain access to the account at hand.

It’s much more secure than a traditional password, even a password that is strong and unique, because there’s not much a hacker can do to break into the account, short of stealing your device and learning your PIN. Even if X’s internal security drops the ball and leaks the public keys used to connect to your passkey, it’s useless without your personal device with the passkey on it.

Unfortunately, the feature is only available for iPhone at this time, as well as for accounts already using a password. However, X has signaled that could change in the future.

How to set up a passkey for your X account

To start, open X on your iPhone, then make sure to log into the account you want to set up a passkey for. Next, go to Settings and Support > Settings and privacy > Security and account access > Security. Under “Additional password protection,” choose Passkey. Enter your password, then choose Add a passkey, and follow the on-screen instructions to finalize set up.

Once set up, your X passkey syncs to your other connected Apple devices through iCloud Keychain. That means you’ll be able to log into X on other Apple devices without needing your phone: Just authenticate yourself on the other device, and you’re in.

At this time, my account doesn’t seem to have the option, even when fully updated, so it’s possible X is rolling out this feature slowly. You can learn more about passkeys on X through the company’s official support page.