PayPal Now Offers Password Authentication for Android Users in the US

PayPal is currently expanding password access for Android users in the US with some restrictions.

PayPal is expanding password access for Android users living in the US, provided they use the website in the Google Chrome browser. The platform introduced this connection method to Apple computers and tablets running macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16 last October. At the time, Google did not yet offer stable compatibility for Android and Chrome, but PayPal has committed to providing this alternative password option on other platforms and in other countries.

PayPal expands password access for Android users in the US

In December last year, passwords appeared in the stable version of Chrome. So today PayPal is keeping its word with some restrictions for now. This new sign-in option isn’t yet available through the dedicated Android app, and users can only use it if they’re using Chrome on a device running Android 9 or later.

This new authentication technology allows users to access sites and services that support it without having to enter their username and password. While they can use biometric authentication to do this, this is not the same as the current connection method, which automatically fills in the requested fields after successful face or digital recognition. This technology creates a pair of encrypted keys, one public and one private, that are associated with a user account. Apps and services that support access keys use the public key to verify a person’s identity by matching it to a private key that is left on the user’s device. As The Verge points out,

With some restrictions at present

To enable passwords for PayPal on Android, eligible users must log in once using the “normal”method on the Chrome browser. The option to “create a password”will then appear and they will be asked to verify their identity using biometric measurements or a phone code. Once set up, they won’t need to enter their username or password to sign in and transact with PayPal in Chrome. Access keys also provide increased overall security because they are immune to phishing. And because one of the key pairs remains on the user’s device, the user’s login information will not be compromised if data is leaked from the app or service in question.