# How WhatsApp Upgraded to Secure, Seamless Sign-In for 1 Billion Users with Passkeys

DevFeed: [How WhatsApp Upgraded to Secure, Seamless Sign-In for 1 Billion Users with Passkeys](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/how-whatsapp-upgraded-to-secure-seamless-sign-in-for-1-billion-users-with-passkeys-4242.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/08/whatsapp-passkeys-secure-sign-in.html>)

Author: Android Developers (noreply@blogger.com)

Published: 2026-08-27T17:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Android Developers Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/android-developers-blog.md>), [Android Developers Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/android-developers-blog-2.md>)

Topics: [Passkeys](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/passkeys.md>), [Authentication](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/authentication.md>), [Security, Privacy and Abuse Prevention](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/security-privacy-and-abuse-prevention.md>), [Cryptography](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cryptography.md>), [Android](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/android.md>), [App](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/app.md>), [API](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/api.md>)

Tags: [android](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/android.md>), [api](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/api.md>), [app](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/app.md>), [authentication](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/authentication.md>), [credential-theft](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/credential-theft.md>), [cryptography](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cryptography.md>), [phishing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/phishing.md>), [scale](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/scale.md>), [whatsapp](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/whatsapp.md>)

## AI overview

WhatsApp's adoption of passkeys provides a fast, phishing-resistant sign-in method for its large global user base. The article explains how passkeys use public-private key cryptography with biometric or screen-lock authentication, reduce reliance on inconsistent SMS OTP delivery, and simplify implementation through Android's Credential Manager API.

## Source excerpt

Posted by Niharika Arora, Senior Developer Relations Engineer, Tracy Agyemang, Product Marketing Manager, Google and Mayank Manuja, Android Engineer, Meta WhatsApp is the world's largest messaging platform, serving billions of users globally. It is the default communication tool for people across diverse regions, connecting users through private, reliable, and secure messaging. "What excites me most is the sheer scale of WhatsApp's impact. Even a small improvement to WhatsApp touches billions of users worldwide," says Mayank Manuja, an Android Engineer on the WhatsApp Registration and Access team who led the design and implementation of passkey-based authentication for WhatsApp. Building for an audience of this magnitude requires navigating a vast range of network conditions, device capabilities, and levels of digital literacy. Recognizing the potential early, WhatsApp committed to adopting passkeys in 2023, becoming one of the first major consumer apps to integrate the technology. By implementing passkeys, WhatsApp aimed to provide a fast, phishing-resistant option that significantly reduces user friction while providing robust protection against account takeovers and credential theft. A user creating a passkey on WhatsApp for faster, more secure sign-ins. The Decision to Adopt Passkeys For WhatsApp, offering multiple access methods is key to making it easier for users to stay connected and regain access when needed. Passkeys offer users a streamlined, one-tap login experience that eliminates phishing risks and functions reliably even in regions where OTP message delivery can be inconsistent. Underneath, passkeys leverage public-private key cryptography to replace manual entry with biometric or screen lock authentication. This workflow drastically improves sign-in speeds by reducing the process to a single tap via a unified, bottom-sheet interface that keeps users engaged within the app's context. The benefits are twofold: passkeys offer users a streamlined login e