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Improving User Experience with SSO and Social Logins

What’s new in Open Social? Apps are awesome – they make our lives easier, for the — continue reading
Posted by Moritz Arendt
January 15, 2018

What’s new in Open Social?

Apps are awesome – they make our lives easier, for the most part. But having to remember multiple unique passwords and usernames isn’t easy. In fact, it leads to something called ‘password fatigue’. It might sound silly but it’s definitely something you’ve experienced before. It’s also one of the reasons why we’ve implemented the authentication methods Single Sign-On and Social Logins in Open Social.

Password fatigue (don’t look this up on WebMD) refers to users that are tired of coming up with and remembering multiple logins. This results in users leaving the website or even reusing the same credentials everywhere – this is risky!

Single Sign-On and Social Logins are quickly becoming a must-have solution for most platforms. Together, they have many benefits. Let’s explore them!

Single Sign-On

Single sign-on essentially means one set of login credentials can be used to access multiple applications and systems. This technology is a response to the growing amount of usernames and passwords people need. Here are the benefits we saw in implementing SSO:

  • Security. One access point reduces the risk of users creating simple passwords. It reduces the chance of a security breach by minimizing the number of passwords that can be stolen. Moreover, it enables secure mobile adoption with its secure access to systems from any device.
  • User experience. Users can conveniently rely on only one set of login credentials, thereby removing the struggle to remember multiple logins (and the time spent on redundant login attempts). It also leads to more productivity, since its easier to access systems and apps.
  • User management. Tech and management staff can easily create, manage, or edit accounts across multiple systems. One login also reduces authentication problems.

 

This technology ensures that users can log into their Open Social platform using credentials of a connected system (such as social media platforms), which makes it easier to come back to the community platform. Read more about this feature on our help center.

Social Logins

Social logins, on the other hand, allow users to access systems with login credentials that already exist – namely, their social accounts. It’s simple and convenient. We implemented social logins primarily because it enhances the user experience of Open Social – no need to fill out more registration forms or remember more passwords. Interestingly, there are a few other advantages too:

  • Increase in user registration. The ease of use of social logins marginally decreases the barrier to entry. Joining a community is just a click away, rather than a form away.
  • Accurate data. It allows site managers to collect more accurate data and improves the identification of their users since it can provide verified email addresses, relationships status, age, gender, and interests.
  • Increased security. It might not seem like it (some may see this as an opportunity for exploitation) but social logins offer improved security. Social platforms like Facebook and Google have a more robust layer of protection than most other IT departments.

 

Social login

Open Social added this feature in order to provide the advantages above. When the social logins are enabled (it’s disabled by default) users have the possibility to sign up and log in to their accounts of other social platforms: Facebook, Google, Linkedin, and Twitter. If permitted during the sign-up process, the user’s name, email address and profile image can be automatically retrieved from other social platforms.

Read more about this feature here: Social Login Extension

Open Social just keeps getting better. Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on our latest features and updates.

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