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Facebook has a fix for frustrating password entry on the Apple TV

Facebook has a fix for frustrating password entry on the Apple TV

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Entering usernames, passwords, and just about any text at all is a pain on the new Apple TV, but Facebook thinks it has a solution. The company's new SDK for tvOS apps lets developers lean on Facebook for the login process; users can go to facebook.com/devices on their phone or computer and enter a verification code to log in instantly. That isn't the smoothest process in the world, and will depend on developer support, but an app-agnostic system like this is about as good as we can hope for given that Apple no longer lets you use your iPhone as a TV keyboard.

The move gives Facebook a good reason to promote its login system as a simpler way to access information — even if some users didn't feel comfortable using Facebook Login as a general replacement for passwords before, the prospect of avoiding the Apple TV's patience-testing remote could be a compelling nudge. And, as you might expect, Facebook's SDK also lets developers build sharing hooks into their apps so that users can post content to the social network. If the SDK gets widely adopted, Facebook may have a notable presence on an unlikely new platform.

Posted by Facebook Developers on Tuesday, 24 November 2015