A passkey is a modern way to log in without typing a password. Instead of remembering a password, you unlock the app with your face, fingerprint, or screen lock, just like you would with standard biometrics. But underneath, a passkey works quite differently, and it's a lot harder for anyone else to get hold of.
How a passkey is different from standard biometrics
Standard biometric login (like a fingerprint or Face ID) usually unlocks something that's stored on your phone, such as a saved password. If someone ever managed to get that stored password, they could use it on another device.
A passkey works differently. It's a pair of digital keys: one stays securely on your device and never leaves it, and the other is held by the app you're logging into. When you log in, your device proves who you are using your face, fingerprint, or screen lock, and the two keys confirm the match. Your fingerprint or face itself is never sent anywhere, and there's no password to steal.
Why this is more secure
- Nothing to steal. There's no password sitting on a server that could be leaked in a data breach.
- Resistant to scams. Passkeys are tied to the real app, so they can't be tricked into working on a fake copycat site or app, which helps protect you from phishing.
- Stays on your device. The key that matters most never leaves your phone.
Setting up your passkey
You can set up a passkey for the Octopus Money app using your fingerprint, face, or screen lock. For step-by-step instructions, see our guide to setting up biometric login.
Setting up passkeys when the app is in Secure Folder (Samsung)
If you've moved the Octopus Money app into Secure Folder on a Samsung Galaxy phone, you might find that setting up a passkey doesn't work the way it does outside the folder. This is down to how Secure Folder keeps things separate and secure on your phone, but there's a quick way to get it working.
Why this happens
Secure Folder is a Samsung feature (more on how it works here) that creates a separate, locked-down space on your phone. Apps inside Secure Folder are treated as a separate copy, so things like passkeys and saved logins need to be set up again inside the folder, even if you've already set them up for the app elsewhere on your phone.
How to set up your passkey inside Secure Folder
- Open your phone's Settings, go to Security and privacy, and tap More security settings.
- Select Secure Folder and enter your secure lock credentials.
- Tap More settings, then choose Passwords, passkeys and autofill.
- Tap the settings icon next to your preferred service (such as Samsung Pass or Google) and confirm.
Once that's done, open the Octopus Money app inside your Secure Folder, go to Settings and then Biometrics. You'll be able to set up your passkey from there.
Troubleshooting: Other Password managers
If you use a password manager instead of your phone's built-in biometrics, you can still set up a passkey for Octopus Money. How you do this depends on where you're setting it up: in the Octopus Money app, or at app.octopusmoney.com in your phone's browser.
1Password
Before you can use 1Password to save your logins and sign in, you’ll need to download and set up 1Password on your device. Then follow these steps here:
iOS (Apple - iPhone)
Android
BitWarden
During set-up, set Bitwarden as your default passkey provider in your device settings. When you create a passkey in the app, choose Bitwarden and save it to a new or existing vault item.
iOS (Apple - iPhone)
Android
NordPass
To use the NordPass autofill feature in Octopus Money app on your mobile device, install the NordPass app and change the primary password manager settings. For detailed information on how to do this, please see guides below:
iOS (Apple - iPhone)
Android
Still need help?
Email us at support@octopusmoney.com or call us on 020 3195 4455, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.