Enter your username. Again! Again!

Last week I traded up from my Android phone to an iPhone. One of the joys of iTunes integration with these devices is that all of the apps I already purchased for my iPad transferred without fuss over to the iPhone, assuming the apps were meant for both platforms.

The first app I set up was Instapaper. I had to log in. Not a big deal. Then I set up the iTunes Store. Had to log in. Facebook. Log in. Twitterrific. Log in. Starbucks Card. Log in. You get the idea.

This process is surprisingly painful and time consuming. As I mentioned in my prior piece on eliminating the login form, my phone already knows who I am - and I even synced it with my Mac; in theory, apps had a chance to verify me via those means.

Instead, when setting up a new device users have to enter usernames and passwords a lot. It’s surprising to me that there isn’t a better way to do this yet.