diff --git a/applet.js b/applet.js
index ff495d8..aaf3c9d 100644
--- a/applet.js
+++ b/applet.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const Mainloop = imports.mainloop;
 const Soup = imports.gi.Soup;
 const St = imports.gi.St;
 const Settings = imports.ui.settings;
+const Json = imports.gi.Json;
 
 function MyApplet(metadata, orientation, panel_height, instance_id) {
     this._init(metadata, orientation, panel_height, instance_id);
@@ -30,8 +31,16 @@ MyApplet.prototype = {
         
         this.settings.bindProperty(
             Settings.BindingDirection.IN,
-            "token",
-            "token",
+            "username",
+            "username",
+            this.onSettingsChanged,
+            null
+        );
+
+        this.settings.bindProperty(
+            Settings.BindingDirection.IN,
+            "password",
+            "password",
             this.onSettingsChanged,
             null
         );
@@ -46,20 +55,10 @@ MyApplet.prototype = {
         this._player = null;
         this._audioBuffer = new Uint8Array(0);
         this._playbackBuffer = [];
+        this._accessToken = null;
         
         global.log("[Voice Assistant] Applet initialized");
-        this._initSockets();
-    },
-
-    onSettingsChanged: function() {
-        global.log("[Voice Assistant] Settings changed, reinitializing sockets");
-        if (this._streamSocket) {
-            this._streamSocket.close(Soup.WebsocketCloseCode.NORMAL, null);
-        }
-        if (this._nodeSocket) {
-            this._nodeSocket.close(Soup.WebsocketCloseCode.NORMAL, null);
-        }
-        this._initSockets();
+        this._authenticate();
     },
 
     _setCustomIcon: function(iconPath) {
@@ -75,12 +74,56 @@ MyApplet.prototype = {
         }
     },
 
+    onSettingsChanged: function() {
+        global.log("[Voice Assistant] Settings changed, re-authenticating");
+        this._closeExistingSockets();
+        this._authenticate();
+    },
+
+    _authenticate: function() {
+        let session = new Soup.Session();
+        let message = Soup.Message.new(
+            'POST',
+            `https://${this.baseUrl}/auth/login`
+        );
+
+        let body = JSON.stringify({
+            username: this.username,
+            password: this.password
+        });
+
+        let bytes = GLib.Bytes.new(body);
+
+        message.set_request_body_from_bytes('application/json', bytes);
+
+        session.send_and_read_async(message, GLib.PRIORITY_DEFAULT, null, (session, result) => {
+            try {
+                let bytes = session.send_and_read_finish(result);
+                if (message.get_status() === 200) {
+                    let data = JSON.parse(new TextDecoder().decode(bytes.get_data()));
+                    this._accessToken = data.access_token;
+                    global.log("[Voice Assistant] Authentication successful");
+                    this._initSockets();
+                } else {
+                    global.logError("[Voice Assistant] Authentication failed: " + message.get_status());
+                }
+            } catch (e) {
+                global.logError("[Voice Assistant] Error during authentication: " + e.message);
+            }
+        });
+    },
+
     _initSockets: function() {
+        if (!this._accessToken) {
+            global.logError("[Voice Assistant] No access token available. Cannot initialize sockets.");
+            return;
+        }
+
         global.log("[Voice Assistant] Initializing WebSockets");
         let maxPayloadSize = 10 * 1024 * 1024; // 10 MB in bytes
         
-        const STREAM_SOCKET_URL = `wss://${this.baseUrl}/node/v1/stream?token=${this.token}`;
-        const NODE_SOCKET_URL = `wss://${this.baseUrl}/node/v1?token=${this.token}`;
+        const STREAM_SOCKET_URL = `wss://${this.baseUrl}/node/v1/stream?token=${this._accessToken}`;
+        const NODE_SOCKET_URL = `wss://${this.baseUrl}/node/v1?token=${this._accessToken}`;
 
         // Initialize Node WebSocket
         try {
@@ -128,14 +171,21 @@ MyApplet.prototype = {
         }
     },
 
+    _closeExistingSockets: function() {
+        if (this._streamSocket) {
+            this._streamSocket.close(Soup.WebsocketCloseCode.NORMAL, null);
+            this._streamSocket = null;
+        }
+        if (this._nodeSocket) {
+            this._nodeSocket.close(Soup.WebsocketCloseCode.NORMAL, null);
+            this._nodeSocket = null;
+        }
+    },
+
     _onSocketError: function(socket, error) {
         global.logError("[Voice Assistant] WebSocket error: " + error.message);
-        try {
-            this._streamSocket.close();
-            this._nodeSocket.close();
-        } finally {
-            this._initSockets();
-        }
+        this._closeExistingSockets();
+        this._authenticate();
     },
 
     _onNodeMessage: function(connection, type, message) {
@@ -317,14 +367,7 @@ MyApplet.prototype = {
     on_applet_removed_from_panel: function() {
         global.log("[Voice Assistant] Applet removed from panel");
         this._stopRecording();
-        if (this._streamSocket) {
-            this._streamSocket.close(Soup.WebsocketCloseCode.NORMAL, null);
-            global.log("[Voice Assistant] Record WebSocket closed");
-        }
-        if (this._nodeSocket) {
-            this._nodeSocket.close(Soup.WebsocketCloseCode.NORMAL, null);
-            global.log("[Voice Assistant] Node WebSocket closed");
-        }
+        this._closeExistingSockets();
         if (this._player) {
             this._player.force_exit();
             global.log("[Voice Assistant] Audio player terminated");
diff --git a/settings-schema.json b/settings-schema.json
index 8e94ff2..152b2a6 100644
--- a/settings-schema.json
+++ b/settings-schema.json
@@ -2,11 +2,16 @@
     "baseUrl": {
         "type": "entry",
         "default": "hana.neonaialpha.com",
-        "description": "Base URL for HANA Websocket"
+        "description": "Base URL for the Voice Assistant service"
     },
-    "token": {
+    "username": {
         "type": "entry",
-        "default": "",
-        "description": "Valid token for authentication"
+        "default": "neon",
+        "description": "Username for authentication"
+    },
+    "password": {
+        "type": "entry",
+        "default": "neon",
+        "description": "Password for authentication"
     }
 }