Twitter revealed that Digits, its password replacement tool, now sports tvOS compatibility and it can make the lives of Apple TV owners a lot easier.
The biggest flaw of the Apple TV is the cumbersome way to log into apps, but with Digits this problem may soon be a thing of the past. Twitter explained in detail how developers can include the functionality into their tvOS apps, so that the login process works smoothly.
"With Digits, your users can now seamlessly and safely log into your Apple TV apps. All it takes is a few lines of code," Twitter said.
Normally, logging into a tvOS app requires users to insert an email address and a password, which can be daunting due to the Apple TV interface. Users navigate a long stream of characters and swipe left and right, pecking each letter, which leads to infuriating minutes dedicated to a simple login. The current process is every definition of painstaking, but with Digits things may change.
Digits-powered apps will display a code on the Apple TV, which users simply input into their smartphones or computers, at the digits.com/appletv. Once they tap in the six-digit code, it's all smooth sailing.
"Once that's done, the TV device receives a Digits session for the user's account which you can use to instantly identify your user and personalize their experience," Twitter pointed out.
Developers that include Digits into their tvOS apps also get access to Twitter's Crashlytics service. This enables them to keep track of the number of app downloads, as well as registered errors. The Crashlytics is optional, but it can help developers in their efforts to improve the user experience.
Just last week, Facebook also proposed a similar idea with the launch of its own tvOS SDK. Even if the alternative system of logging in is not perfect, it can save a great chunk of time for users with long, complicated passwords and email addresses.
Apart from the workaround provided by Digits and Facebook, Apple might be able to improve the login experience itself if it refines the voice search feature on the tvOS.
"There needed to be a better way for users to log into apps on TVs without a standard input method," Twitter pointed out.
It looks like the micro-blogging company just found the way to do it.
