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From September 2025, Realm Realtime platform is going passwordless.

Passwords have been the traditional method of logging in since the birth of the internet, but nowadays they are considered insecure and are a common target for malicious attacks and data breaches. In addition, using strong passwords is an inconvenience to users as they rely on memorizing complex, unmemorable strings of text.

What is passwordless?

Passwordless logins are a modern, secure alternative to passwords. They have built-in multi-factor authentication, and are much more secure against malicious attacks. Realm Realtime platform offers two methods of passwordless authentication: Passkey or Magic Link.

How do Passkeys work?

A passkey is a modern, secure alternative to a password. It is connected to a specific device and uses that device's native authentication method (e.g. fingerprint, face id, windows hello) to verify your identity. It cannot be cracked by a hacker, and you don't need to remember anything.

A passkey consists of two halves, one half lives on your device, and the other half lives in Realm. Only if both halves match will you be logged in. If you delete a half, either from your device, or your Realm account, the passkey will no longer work and you will need to set up a new one. This is a useful security feature in case you don't recognise a login for your account - you can easily delete the passkey half from Realm and be confident it cannot be used again.

You can see all your saved passkeys in your Realm account (User Menu -> Me -> Passkeys)

How do Magic links work?

A magic link is an alternative passwordless login method to passkeys. It means that we'll send a link to your registered email address and clicking on that link will log you in. No passwords to remember, and simple logins every time.

Step-by-Step Guide

When you first arrive on Realm Realtime, you will be presented with three options:

  • Login With A Passkey
  • Setup A Passkey For This Device
  • Send Me A Magic Link

Setting Up A Passkey For Your Device

Let's go through the steps of setting up a Passkey if this is your preferred method.

First step is to click the button below on your login page.

You will then need to enter your email address and then click Send Set Passkey Link - like the below.

Once this has been actioned, you will see the below page.

You will then receive an email:

Hi (Name of User)

Someone (hopefully you) requested a link to set up a passkey for Realm Realtime.

Please follow this link to set up your passkey:

https://example-of-link (valid for 5 minutes)

If you did not request this link, you can ignore this email.

Please contact support@realmrealtime.com if you experience any difficulties.

Realm Realtime

Click on the link in the email, and you will be taken to this page:

Next, click on the button to continue and your device will ask you to verify your identity. This could be through any number of ways, depending on your device/operating system, for example:

  • Windows Hello (usually asks you for your device password/PIN)
  • Fingerprint
  • FaceID

For example, if you are on Windows, you may see the below...

PLEASE NOTE: If you are on a Windows PC, you will need to have at least a Windows Hello PIN set up. If you do not see this option presented on the screen, above, please follow these instructions to get a PIN set up on your device. If you have any difficulties with this, please contact your local IT administrator who will be able to assist.

... or if you are on Android, you may see the below...

... or if you are on iOS for iPhone, you may see the below.

Once you have verified your identity, your passkey is set up and you will be logged in.

Logging In With A Passkey

When you go to log in to Realm Realtime again, you can simply click Login With A Passkey, which will log you straight in.

Please note: your device will ask you to verify your identity, just like the screenshots, above.

Logging In With A Magic Link

Let's go through the steps of setting up a Magic Link if this is your preferred method.

First step is to click the button below on your login page.

You will then need to enter your email address and then click Send Magic Link - like the below.

Once you have actioned this - Look out for an email:

Hi (Name of User)

Someone (hopefully you) requested a magic link for Realm Realtime.

Please follow this link to log in:

https://example-of-link (valid for 5 minutes)

If you did not request this link, you can ignore this email.

Please contact support@realmrealtime.com if you experience any difficulties.

Realm Realtime

Once you have clicked on the link, you will see a button to continue.

Click on that button and you will be logged in straight away.

Remember - if your preferred method of logging in is a Magic Link, you will need to ask for a Magic Link each time you log in.