PSA: Sign In With Apple
As of today, many apps that are submitted for approval to be distributed through Apple’s App Store are required to support a new feature called Sign In With Apple. This is great news for you!
If you’re not familiar, Sign In With Apple is an excellent, user focused feature designed to make it easier to sign in to apps while protecting your privacy. Put simply, it’s a button that will allow you to quickly sign up for/sign in to apps with just a few taps, without having to remember a password or fill out long forms. It gives the application a very limited amount of information about you, including only a name (which you can change if you like) and an email address (which you can opt to disguise in case might later want to be able to easily revoke the app’s ability to email you).
As mentioned above, starting today, all apps that support other third party log in buttons — like the Facebook and Google sign in buttons — are now required to support Sign In With Apple as well, guaranteeing that users have a more private and secure alternative that affords them the same level of convenience. As it stands, Facebook and Google’s buttons are harmful because they set up a link between the tech giants and the app or website you’re using them to sign in to, creating a tunnel for an unfettered flow of your personal information between those entities and the apps, which can be used for targeted advertising and other user hostile practices.
If you have an Apple product*, I would strongly encourage you to start using Sign In With Apple. Not only is it safer and more private than the other third party sign in buttons, but it’s faster too, because you authenticate with Touch ID or Face ID rather than having to type in your Facebook or Google password with their respective sign in buttons.
If you ever need to manage the apps that you let use Sign In With Apple, you can do so on an iPhone or iPad by going to Settings → (Your Name) → Password & Security. You can also do this on a Mac under System Preferences → Apple ID → Password & Security, or on the Apple ID website.