Facebook Messenger to use auto-fill SMS retriever API; ditches manual typing

The dual-factor authentication function has been there for quite some time, and the Android operating system already supports this function which ensures maximum security for the users.

How this function is that in the Android operating system, the SMS retriever API automatically detects the SMS sent to the phone for the unlocking or even registering purposes, and it copies the said code and fills it up automatically in the required field. In this way, the user does not need to manually type in the SMS sent to their smartphones.

Google had announced that this function will not be limited to SMS applications only, and soon other apps will be able to use it. Only recently this dual-factor authentication function has started working in third-party apps.

To be precise, Facebook Messenger is the third party app that is using the API to detect the code automatically. However, it is only limited to apps and is not working for the Chrome web browser.

The auto-fill function of codes is still in its early developing, initial phases, and this has a long way to go. Its function may soon cover a broad spectrum of apps and maybe even web browsers in the future. But as of now, as it is still in the initial phases, there are some tweaks that the developers need to work on to fix it and make it fully functional. The function at this stage is not very smart and only copies old codes.

Furthermore, there is no way to activate this function manually, and as reported by the Android Police, it gets activated suddenly. This functionality is available through Play Services version 20.04.12 and Google Messages version 5.5.096.

No further information is available regarding when it will be available across a wide range of apps globally. However, this function is expected to arrive soon.