Facebook is upping its account security options by adding support for physical security keys on mobile devices within its two-factor authentication process.

To be clear, Facebook has supported the use of physical security keys on desktop since 2017, but it’s now expanding that capacity to Android and iOS devices also, which will help users most at risk of hacking to add an extra level of security to their accounts.

As explained by Facebook:

“Physical security keys – which can be small enough to fit on your keychain – notify you each time someone tries accessing your Facebook account from a browser or mobile device we don’t recognize. We ask you to confirm it’s you with your key, which attackers don’t have.”

So rather than relying on your mobile device, and sending you an SMS for authentication, hackers would need to have this physical device, like a USB or similar, in order to gain access to your account. Such tools are becoming a bigger focus – Twitter also solidified its support for physical security keys earlier this month. 

With social media platforms now playing a larger role in how we communicate, and storing more and more of our personal information, it’s becoming increasingly important for people to secure their accounts to avoid criminal activity. 

That can be even more important for high-profile users. As we saw with former US President Donald Trump, who used his Twitter handle to share his views on everything, including foreign policy stances, the potential for misuse in such cases could be significant, and could, at the worst, lead to actual, real-world conflicts.

If you want to use a physical security key for your Facebook account, you can enroll your security key in two-factor authentication within the Security and Login section of your Settings. More information is available here.