Sign in with Apple

Sign in with Apple is a single sign-on service provided by Apple Inc. that allows users to log into third-party websites and applications using their Apple ID credentials. This service was introduced in 2019 during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) and is available on iOS, macOS, and through Apple's website.

Overview

Sign in with Apple is designed to provide a privacy-focused alternative to other single sign-on services offered by companies like Facebook and Google. When a user chooses to sign in with their Apple ID, the service creates a unique, random ID for each app or website. This means that the user's actual Apple ID is never shared with third-party services, helping to protect the user's privacy.

Functionality

Sign in with Apple works by using the OAuth 2.0 protocol, which is a standard for authorizing secure access to web-based applications. When a user chooses to sign in with Apple, they are redirected to an Apple website where they can enter their Apple ID and password. Once authenticated, the user is redirected back to the original app or website with a unique, random ID that is used to identify the user.

In addition to providing a unique ID for each app or website, Sign in with Apple also offers a "Hide My Email" feature. This allows users to choose whether or not to share their real email address with third-party services. If a user chooses to hide their email, Apple creates a unique, random email address that forwards to the user's real email. This helps to further protect the user's privacy.

Reception

Since its introduction, Sign in with Apple has been praised for its focus on privacy. However, it has also faced criticism for potentially limiting competition by making it more difficult for other single sign-on services to operate on Apple's platforms.

See also

• Apple ID
• Single sign-on
• OAuth 2.0