Technology
eBay’s Mobile App Wraps in One Time Password, Touch ID and Android Wear Support
New authentication features and other additions make it easier than ever to access and use the app.
In May, eBay released an update to its Android and iOS mobile apps, improving performance and making it easier to buy and sell online. As eBay continued to make updates on a regular cadence, users will start to notice One Time Password on both the Android and iOS apps, Touch ID Authentication capabilities on iOS and the support of the Android Wear platform.
“As we have increased the pace of innovation and mobile updates, we have quickly responded to user feedback to continue to make the mobile apps for both iOS and Android better for each user,” said Mrinalini Loew, Senior Director, Mobile & Accessibility at eBay. “With the addition of One Time Password, Touch ID Authentication and Android Wear, we’re continuing to make it easier for our customers to access our 1 billion listings, whenever, wherever.”
Eliminate Passwords with One Time Password and Touch ID
These days, many aspects of our digital lives are centered on our mobile devices and our favorite applications. Managing an ever-growing collection of passwords and authentication information can be challenging. One Time Password provides an ultra-simple method of accessing eBay’s marketplace seamlessly.
With One Time Password, users are prompted to sign in with a single code that they receive via text. Once the one-time code is used, users stay signed in. This removes login friction on both desktop computers and mobile devices for millions of eBay users, as they no longer need to remember their passwords.
With single-touch access on mobile devices, known as Touch ID, users are able to authenticate their log-in via their fingerprint.
“One Time Password and Touch ID Authentication eliminates the need to remember your password when you want access to the eBay Marketplace,” said Dave Comer, Senior Director, Identity and Member Communication Product Management at eBay. “We all use so many applications that require passwords and login information that it is impossible for users to remember them all. We want to eliminate the friction entirely.”
Earlier this year, eBay rolled out Reclaim Email as part of the Identity Management Initiative. Reclaim Email allows eligible users to re-register for an eBay account with an email address that was previously used. You can find out more about eBay’s Identity Management Initiative here.
Access eBay’s Marketplace Straight from Android Wear
In addition to One Time Password and Touch ID Authentication, we’re introducing our first app supporting Android Wear. Users will now see more detail directly in notifications that appear on their Wear devices, providing more context before pulling out their phones. This includes the item’s title, price, end time, image, and more.
“With our last update, we embraced Android’s material design standards, making our app more natural for Android devices,” said Nate Carrier, Senior Product Manager at eBay. “By introducing support for Android Wear, eBay is building on its commitment to the Android ecosystem and enabling a more seamless shopping experience across all types of devices.”
Android Wear users can now read the content of member-to-member messages and reply directly from their watch. Users can reply by voice or choose from several quick replies. This is just one of many step forward in improving the eBay experience across all devices.
With 57% percent of eBay’s GMV involving a mobile touch point and total mobile volume of $9.5 billion (as of second quarter, 2016), mobile continues to be a key area of focus for eBay. We will continue iterating the mobile experience throughout 2016 to create the best possible customer experience on every platform.
