Facebook Connect has been popular for developers being a convenient alternative to traditional login mechanisms. However, while some users may agree to signup onto an app with their Facebook profiles, many users hesitate to do so fearing the kind of information that could be accessed from their social profile.
At Account Kit’s unveil at this year’s F8 conference, Deborah Liu, Product Marketing Manager at Facebook, said “People hate usernames and passwords”. The Account Kit allows users to register on applications with just their phone numbers or email instead of setting a username or a password.
So, how does Account Kit work? Through Account Kit, users can sign up on an application via their phone number or email address without the need of a password. If a user chooses to sign up via their phone number, they will receive a text message with a verification code that would have to be entered back on the app. Similarly, if a user registers with an email account, a one-time link will be sent to the provided email address for confirmation.
The amazing thing about Account Kit is that it supports SMS login for over 230 countries and you can use it to send more than 100K confirmation texts to people who register for your app at no charge.
No more passwords
The new feature has several benefits for both users and app developers. For one, it spares users from remembering a lot of passwords just to sign up for an application. For developers, this reduces onboarding time and broadens user base for their apps. Also, since the new feature combines account login and account registration, it prevents you from creating a separate flow to register new users or to check whether an account already exists.
Collect Demographic Data with App Events
In a previous post, we discussed how user onboarding is a priority for application developers. But user onboarding is impossible unless developers understand their users more broadly. Account Kit makes easier for developers to view users by giving them a bird’s eye view of demographic data right in the app dashboard.
Rich aggregated data offers developers the chance to understand their audience and their login preferences. For example, if the analytics reveal that most of the users log into your app with their phone numbers, you can remove the option that lets them signup via email.
Customized User Interface
Your app’s login screen will be the first thing that users see before they log in and start using it. They say the first impression is the most lasting, and hence it is integral for this to look brilliant. The beauty of Account Kit is that all of its SDKs (for iOS, Android and Web) offer customization of login screens, and you can customize it to match your brand.
With login screen customization options that are built right in the SDK itself, you can set values in the user interface to set a custom background image that corresponds with your app’s theme and color scheme. For users, a login screen whose theme matches what your app looks like, makes the onboarding journey seamless that is likely to increase conversions.
Wrapping up
The new feature has already shown some promising results. Saavn, an Indian streaming music service and early launch partner, witnessed a growth of 33% during the first two months of implementing Account Kit.
Account Kit’s password-less application access is a relief for users who prefer to log in with details that are more familiar to them, like their phone number and email address. The new feature is also a blessing for developers who have the chance to expand their user base and increase app conversions by providing their audience a seamless onboarding experience.
Enjoyed reading the article? Checkout some tips to onboard users effectively.
