WebAuthn Not Working for Android and iOS Phones

Knowledge Articles
1

Overview

This article will outline some generic troubleshooting guidelines to perform if a user is having issues completing a WebAuthn Device Biometric challenge using either an Android or iOS phone.

  • This article will also assume that the user has been able to enroll in WebAuthn successfully and that the subsequent challenges are failing.
  • The issue appears to manifest on certain Android and/or iOS devices after a user successfully enrolls in WebAuthn.

Applies To

  • WebAuthn
  • Device Biometrics
  • MFA
  • Native App
  • Android
  • iPhone
  • iOS

Solution

The following steps have allowed customers on iPhone to use WebAuthn successfully (note this assumes the default Safari browser is being used):

  1. Log out of any applications that prompt for WebAuthn on the device in question.
  2. Have admin delete WebAuthn MFA enrollment.
  3. Clear storage and device data on iOS devices.
  4. Re-enroll in Webauthn MFA when logging in with Auth0.
  5. Log out again and confirm that Webauthn is being prompted as expected.

The following steps have helped Android device users log in with WebAuthn successfully (these steps assume the default Chrome browser is being used):

  1. Clear Chrome cache and storage on the device.
  2. Have admin delete WebAuthn MFA enrollment.
  3. Remove biometric data from any application using the WebAuthn on the device.
  4. Sign out completely from the application in question.
  5. Log back into the application and re-enroll in WebAuthn.
  6. Sign out again from the application.
  7. Sign back into the application and confirm that WebAuthn is functioning as expected.

Note: WebAuthn-related device issues can be difficult to troubleshoot due to the issue typically stemming from the unique qualities of the device itself. The above guidance should be understood as a first step in troubleshooting and not a catch-all for WebAuthn-related device issues.

Additionally, if enrollment in a WebAuthn factor is the issue, please have the affected user visit this site to confirm their device/browser will support WebAuthn: