Apple has joined the Fast Identity Online Alliance which aims to create stronger authentication standards and reduce the reliance on passwords. The alliance aims to solve the “world’s password problem.”

FIDO already has many high-level companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook, Arm, Intel, Samsung, Lenovo, and Qualcomm as its members, with Apple now joining the alliance. The companies will work towards the adoption of the U2F authentication standard which is backed by the alliance. Apple added support for the U2F standard in Safari with the iOS 13.3 release. Other browsers like Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox also support the standard.

The U2F standard wants to replace passwords with trusted devices. This is similar to how Google login prompts work in the Android ecosystem. You log in to a new Android device and Google sends a login confirmation prompt in one of your trusted devices. You can also use security keys like the one from Yubikey as an additional two-step authentication method and log into your account securely.

The FIDO authentication is based on free and open standards and offers a superior user experience and security. While it is going to take a while for passwords to go away, Apple joining the FIDO Alliance will give notable credibility and support to the standard and the program.