Account Key enables Yahoo’s mobile users to log in to their email accounts while bypassing the password step of the process. When enabled, the app will send a push notification for users to accept in place of a password. The thinking, according to Yahoo, is that users will be able to easily shut down any unauthorized attempts to get into their account without needing to remember a complex password.
“It’s also more secure than a traditional password because once you activate Account Key — even if someone gets access to your account info — they can’t sign in,” the company’s VP of product management, Dylan Casey, notes in a statement.
Account Key will replace the on-demand email passwords announced earlier this year, which also allowed users to log in to their accounts without remembering their passwords. Yahoo says the feature will eventually make its way to the company’s other apps as well.
The new Yahoo Mail app also sports a refreshed design that’s much cleaner and easier to use than previous versions. The company simplified its gestures gestures so you can swipe to delete, mark a message as read, or long press on a message to select multiple emails at once. The app’s search has also been improved so you can filter search results by photos or attachments.