ExpressVPN for Android ditches the password hassle with new passkey and token logins

ExpressVPN's latest Android update adds three new ways to sign in: an email code, a login token, and a passkey.

<![CDATA[ <article> <ul><li><strong>ExpressVPN's latest Android update adds three new ways to sign in: an email code, a login token, and a passkey.</strong></li><li><strong>Login tokens expire after a short time and are replacing ExpressVPN's old, never-changing activation codes.</strong></li><li><strong>The options are rolling out gradually, and ExpressVPN expects every Android user to have them by the end of the year.</strong></li></ul><p>ExpressVPN has released a <a href="https://www.expressvpn.com/support/vpn-setup/release-notes/android-app/">fresh version</a> of its Android app, and it adds three new ways to sign in to your account directly in the app.</p><p>Users can now choose between a one-time code sent to their inbox, a login token copied from the ExpressVPN web portal, or a passkey. </p><p>The same options are already available on iOS, and ExpressVPN told TechRadar it's using the switch to gradually retire activation codes altogether.</p><h2 id="three-new-ways-to-sign-in-to-expressvpn-on-android">Three new ways to sign in to ExpressVPN on Android</h2><p>The first option is the simplest. Enter the email address linked to your account, and <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/expressvpn">ExpressVPN</a> sends a verification code to your inbox.</p><p>The second option, a login token, is the bigger change. You generate one from the setup page of the <a href="https://www.expressvpn.com/support/vpn-setup/app-for-android/">ExpressVPN+ web portal</a>, then paste it into the app or scan it as a QR code. Unlike the old activation code, which stayed the same and never expired, a new token is created each time you ask for one and expires after a short period.</p><p>The third option is a passkey. If you created one for your Android device when you signed up, you enter your email and follow the on-screen prompt to authenticate.</p><p>Email and password login isn't going anywhere for now. You'll still find it among the "legacy" options by tapping the ExpressVPN icon on the app's welcome screen. </p><p>Activation codes, however, are the "first to make way for these newer methods," according to an ExpressVPN representative.</p><h2 id="why-this-is-good-news-for-android-users">Why this is good news for Android users</h2><p>Passkeys are a big win, as they're both more secure and easier to input than traditional passwords. </p><p>ExpressVPN's version follows the FIDO2/WebAuthn standard, so a passkey synced through a passkey manager should work across your devices, while one saved on a hardware security key stays on that key. </p><p>The company is also encouraging users to store passkeys in its own password manager, <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/expressvpn-keys">ExpressKeys</a>, which it says makes them available on iOS, Android, Mac, and in the browser.</p><p>Login tokens are also an improvement on the old activation code. Only someone already signed in to the portal can generate one, and because they're time-limited, a token that's lost or exposed simply stops working once it expires. </p><p>ExpressVPN still advises treating a token like a password: "don’t share it or post screenshots of it, and only scan the QR code on a device you own." They're handy, too, as setting up a new phone no longer means pecking out a long password on a touchscreen.</p><div data-widget-type="review" data-model-name="ExpressVPN"></div> </article> ]]>