Passphrase Authentication

Passphrase authentication lets users log into any device using a recovery phrase consisting of multiple words (similar to cryptocurrency wallets). Users are responsible for storing this passphrase safely.

How it works

When a user creates an account with passphrase authentication:

Jazz generates a unique recovery phrase derived from the user's cryptographic keys
This phrase consists of words from a wordlist
Users save this phrase and enter it when logging in on new devices

You can use one of the ready-to-use wordlists from the BIP39 repository or create your own.

Key benefits

Portable: Works across any device, even without browser or OS support
User-controlled: User manages their authentication phrase
Flexible: Works with any wordlist you choose
Offline capable: No external dependencies

Implementation

// @filename: wordlist.ts
export const wordlist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "date", "elderberry", "fig", "grape", "honeydew", "kiwi", "lemon", "mango", "orange", "pear", "quince", "raspberry", "strawberry", "tangerine", "uva", "watermelon", "xigua", "yuzu", "zucchini"];
// @filename: AuthModal.tsx
import * as React from "react";
import { View, TextInput, Button, Text } from 'react-native';
import { useState } from "react";
import { usePassphraseAuth } from "jazz-react-native";

type AuthModalProps = {
  open: boolean;
  onOpenChange: (open: boolean) => void;
}
// ---cut---
import { wordlist } from "./wordlist"

export function AuthModal({ open, onOpenChange }: AuthModalProps) {
  const [loginPassphrase, setLoginPassphrase] = useState("");

  const auth = usePassphraseAuth({
    wordlist: wordlist,
  });

  if (auth.state === "signedIn") {
    return <Text>You are already signed in</Text>;
  }

  const handleSignUp = async () => {
    await auth.signUp();
    onOpenChange(false);
  };

  const handleLogIn = async () => {
    await auth.logIn(loginPassphrase);
    onOpenChange(false);
  };

  return (
    <View>
      <View>
        <Text>Your current passphrase</Text>
        <TextInput
          editable={false}
          value={auth.passphrase}
          multiline
          numberOfLines={5}
        />
      </View>

      <Button
        title="I have stored my passphrase"
        onPress={handleSignUp}
      />

      <View>
        <Text>Log in with your passphrase</Text>
        <TextInput
          value={loginPassphrase}
          onChangeText={setLoginPassphrase}
          placeholder="Enter your passphrase"
          multiline
          numberOfLines={5}
        />
      </View>

      <Button
        title="Log in"
        onPress={handleLogIn}
      />
    </View>
  );
}

Examples

You can see passphrase authentication in our passphrase example or the todo list demo.

When to use Passphrases

Passphrase authentication is ideal when:

You need to support older browsers without WebAuthn capabilities
Your users need to access the app on many different devices
You want a fallback authentication method alongside passkeys

Limitations and considerations

User responsibility: Users must securely store their passphrase
Recovery concerns: If a user loses their passphrase, they cannot recover their account
Security risk: Anyone with the passphrase can access the account
User experience: Requires users to enter a potentially long phrase

Make sure to emphasize to your users:

Store the passphrase in a secure location (password manager, written down in a safe place)
The passphrase is the only way to recover their account
Anyone with the passphrase can access the account

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Passkey

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Passphrase Authentication

#How it works

#Key benefits

#Implementation

#Examples