To sign in to Amazon with Face ID or Touch ID on an iPhone, create an Amazon passkey: in the Amazon Shopping app, open Your Account > Login & security, tap Set up next to Passkey, and approve with Face ID or Touch ID. From then on, your iPhone signs you in with your face or fingerprint instead of your password.
These steps cover the current Amazon Shopping app and amazon.com in Safari on an iPhone running iOS 16 or later, including iOS 26. Amazon calls the feature a passkey; the old “biometric authentication” switch from 2018-era versions of the app no longer exists.
What an Amazon Passkey Is
A passkey is a sign-in key that lives on your device instead of in your memory. Amazon keeps a matching public half, and your iPhone proves it holds the private half when you look at the screen or touch the sensor. Amazon’s About Passkey help page says passkeys are end-to-end encrypted and that your passkeys and biometric data are never shared with Amazon. Face ID only unlocks the key on your phone.
That is also why a passkey resists fake Amazon login pages. The key only works on the real Amazon site, so there is no password for a scam page to collect.
Before You Start
- iOS 16 or later. Amazon lists iOS 16 as the minimum. Check yours in Settings > General > About.
- Face ID or Touch ID set up. On a Face ID iPhone, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Set Up Face ID. On an iPhone with a Home button, go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode > Add a Fingerprint. The steps for setting up Face ID on an iPhone walk through the scan.
- iCloud Keychain on. Your iPhone saves the passkey to your Apple Account through iCloud Keychain, which requires two-factor authentication. That sync is what lets the same passkey work on your iPad and Mac.
- Your Amazon password nearby. Amazon usually asks you to sign in again, and sometimes to enter a one-time code, before it lets you change security settings.
- The latest Amazon Shopping app. Update it from the App Store if the Passkey row is missing.
How to Set Up an Amazon Passkey in the Amazon App
- Open the Amazon Shopping app and sign in to the account you want to protect.
- Tap the You tab, the person icon in the bottom row.
- Tap Your Account.
- Under Account settings, tap Login & security.
- Enter your password, and the verification code if Amazon sends one. The Login & security page opens with your name, email, phone number and password listed.
- Tap Set up next to Passkey. An explanation screen appears.
- Tap Set up again.
- When iOS asks whether to save a passkey for Amazon, tap Continue and look at the screen (or rest your finger on the Home button).
Amazon returns you to Login & security, and the Passkey row now shows that a passkey is set up. Amazon allows one passkey per passkey provider account, so one passkey covers every Apple device signed in to your Apple Account.
Set It Up From Safari Instead
If the app keeps sending you in circles, the website works the same way:
- Open amazon.com in Safari and sign in.
- Tap the account icon at the top of the page, then Your Account.
- Tap Login & security and confirm your password.
- Tap Set up next to Passkey, then Set up again, and approve with Face ID or Touch ID.
The passkey saves to the same iCloud Keychain, so the app can use it too.
How to Sign In With Face ID or Touch ID
- Open the Amazon app or amazon.com and start to sign in.
- Tap the passkey suggestion when it appears above the keyboard or on the sign-in screen. If it doesn’t appear, enter your email or phone number and tap Sign in with passkey.
- Look at your iPhone or touch the sensor. Amazon signs you in without a password.
Your password still works. Amazon keeps it as a backup, so you can sign in with it on any device that doesn’t have the passkey.
Make Sure Amazon Can Use Face ID
Apple lets you decide which apps may use Face ID. Per Apple’s Face ID support article:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Face ID & Passcode and enter your passcode.
- Tap Other Apps.
- If Amazon appears in the list, turn its switch on.
The switch turns green, and the Amazon app can ask for Face ID again. If an app supports Face ID but never asks, you may need to sign in to that app manually once first.
Use Your Passkey on Another Device
Any iPhone, iPad or Mac signed in to the same Apple Account offers the passkey automatically. Amazon’s Use Passkey on Multiple Devices page describes two other cases:
- A computer that doesn’t have the passkey, such as a Windows PC. Choose the option to use a passkey from another device, turn on Bluetooth on both devices, and scan the QR code with your iPhone camera. Approve with Face ID, and the computer signs in.
- A device that uses a different provider, such as an Android phone with Google Password Manager. Sign in there, go to Your Account > Login & security, select Edit next to Passkey, then Add a passkey. Add passkeys only on devices you own.
If you shop on another Amazon country site, such as amazon.co.uk, you need a separate passkey there or your regular password.
Troubleshooting
There is no Passkey row in Login & security. Update the Amazon app and iOS, then check again. If it is still missing, set it up in Safari as shown above.
The app asks for your password instead of Face ID. Check that Amazon is turned on under Other Apps, and try Sign in with passkey on the sign-in screen. If iCloud Keychain is off, the iPhone has nowhere to keep the passkey; turn it on in Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Passwords.
Face ID fails. After a few failed scans, iOS asks for your iPhone passcode instead. Entering it still unlocks the passkey.
You use more than one Amazon account. A passkey belongs to one Amazon account. Switch to each account in the app and set up a separate passkey for it.
If you still need that second account, here is how to create an Amazon account with a different email or phone number.
A new iPhone doesn’t offer the passkey. Sign in to the same Apple Account and wait for iCloud Keychain to sync. If you changed Apple Accounts, add a new passkey from Login & security.
How to Remove an Amazon Passkey
Amazon’s Delete a Passkey page says to remove it from Amazon and from your passkey provider. Make sure you know your Amazon password first, because you’ll need it to sign in afterward.
- Go to Your Account and select Login & security.
- Select Passkey (on the website, select Edit next to it).
- Select the Delete icon next to the passkey.
- Confirm the deletion. Amazon stops accepting that passkey.
- On your iPhone, open the Passwords app (iOS 18 or later) and unlock it with Face ID.
- Tap All, then tap the Amazon entry.
- Tap Edit, then tap Delete.
Your iPhone stops suggesting the Amazon passkey when you sign in. On iOS 17 or earlier, go to Settings > Passwords, tap the Amazon entry, and tap Delete Passkey instead. Apple’s saved passwords and passkeys guide notes that a deleted item can be restored from the Deleted list for a short time.
Older Amazon App Versions
Versions of the Amazon app from around iOS 12 had a switch in the iPhone Settings app at Settings > Amazon > Use Biometric authentication when available. Current versions use passkeys, so that switch is gone. The screenshots below show the old switch for reference only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Amazon see my face or fingerprint?
No. Your face and fingerprint data stay on the iPhone. Your passkeys and biometric information are never shared with Amazon.
Can I still use my Amazon password?
Yes. Amazon keeps your password active after you add a passkey, and you can choose it on the sign-in screen at any time. To change it, use Edit next to Password on the same Login & security page.
Will Amazon ask for my passkey at checkout?
Amazon has said it may ask for your passkey to confirm some high-risk payment transactions during checkout. Approving it works the same way as signing in.
What happens if I lose my iPhone?
The passkey is still in your iCloud Keychain, so a replacement iPhone signed in to the same Apple Account gets it back. Someone holding your lost phone can’t use it without your face, fingerprint or passcode. If you’re worried, sign in on another device and review your account. The steps for logging out of your Amazon account explain how a password change signs out other devices.
Next, turn on delivery notifications in the Amazon iPhone app so you know when orders arrive.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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