OAuth
OAuth
A standard that lets you grant specific permissions to another app without sharing your password
In Simple Terms
OAuth is a standard that lets you safely share only certain permissions with another app, so it can access your data or features on a service you use. The key thing about it is that you never have to hand over your username or password to the other app. Instead, a temporary pass called an "access token" is issued — one with a defined scope and expiration built in. This means you can grant only what's needed, like "read photos only," and even if the token is ever exposed, the damage stays limited.
Behind the Name
OAuth is commonly said to stand for Open Authorization. Interestingly, there's no official definition of the abbreviation — but it's widely used to capture the idea of "open" and "authorization" combined.
Take a Closer Look!
OAuth is a standard for granting "authorization" so that another application can access your data or features on a service you use.
It lets you safely hand off only a portion of your permissions to a third-party app.
The key characteristic of this system is that you never need to share your username or password with the other app.
If you handed over your password directly, that app could potentially view or control everything in your account.
With OAuth, you can limit what's shared — for example, "read photos only" or "post only" — keeping the risk contained.
Instead of a password, the system issues a temporary pass called an "access token."
This token has a specific expiration time and a defined scope of permissions, so even if it's ever leaked, the impact stays limited.