As we all know user drops on signup/registration and login is pretty common in websites and mobile applications, thanks to multiple form fields which are driving the users out of the website. Every user dropped from a signup page is a revenue loss for a company. So we have come up with two different approaches which are so far the quickest signup and login approaches.

Approach 1: Passkeys

Passkeys are a much safer and quicker alternative to passwords as the user doesn’t have to remember and write the password each time a login is required. With Passkeys uses can sign in to websites or mobile application with multiple mediums such as

1. Biometric sensor on mobile (Fingerprint / Face Recognition)
2. PIN
3. Pattern

Designers, Developers and users all don’t like passwords as they give poor user experience, add friction to the conversion flow and create security liability. Google chrome does provide the password autofill option but for even further improvements in conversion and security, passkeys are the industries go to solution.

A passkey is highly secured as it meets multifactor authentication requirement in a single step, replacing both OTP and password and delivers a robust protection against phishing attacks.

Advantages of Passkeys –

1. One touch sign in – Users can just select an account to sign in with, even typing the username is not required.
2. Users can authenticate using device’s screen lock pattern, fingerprint, facial or PIN. And since these days users use these for other apps and are pretty familiar with these, Passkeys becomes a more natural way of signing in.
3. Once a passkey is created and registered, the user can seamlessly switch to a new device and immediately use it without needing to re-enroll. So interpretability makes it easier
4. Passkeys are also safer as developers only save a public key to the server instead of saving a password.

How to Signup flow works with Passkeys

1. User enters the email ID and click on Signup button
2. System prompts for saving / registering a passkey which will be saved in device.
3. User is directed to dashboard and the email verification can happen either before going to dashboard or after landing to dashboard.

How the Login Flow works with Passkeys

1. User goes to login page and clicks on sign in with passkey
2. User selects the passkey and do the verification using pin/biometrics/pattern.
3. User is directed to the dashboard.

Approach 2: Magic Links

Magic links are similar to OTP for authentication where a user gives an email address and then clicks on magic link sent to their email IDs and they are logged in on website. For registration the email will be sent to the user with an OTP and once it’s verified, the next time login is made smoother by the magic links.

Great User Experience –

Magic Links provide a great user as they are intuitive, familiar, and simple for end users. If you care about providing a great customer experience, magic links are the go-to for user authentication. After all, what’s easier than typing in your email address (which, hopefully, you know by heart and don’t have to look up, unlike a password) and then clicking a link?

Cons of Magic Links –

Once of the concerns you might encounter is not from you or users side, it’s from the email provider. Sometimes if the email is triggered and landed in spam, then for users it’s difficult to get the link.

A Common Advantage of both approaches

Since both approaches are just requiring email IDs, there is no need to give two options to user as Login and Register. The user can also go to a single screen and enter their email address. And since the system understands whether the email address is already registered or not, it can do the next process accordingly.

Keshav Sharma

Co-Founder Simplileap

Passionate Full Stack Developer with an unwavering enthusiasm for technology and a relentless drive for continuous learning with more than 10 years of experience in Web Development, SEO and Software Development. Committed to pushing boundaries, I thrive in dynamic environments where I can leverage my expertise in front-end and back-end development to create innovative solutions. With a strong foundation in various programming languages and frameworks, I am dedicated to staying updated with the latest industry trends and incorporating them into my work.