We have been asking for its since a long time and after months of beta testing, it's finally here. WhatsApp on Android now allows users to set a fingerprint unlock authentication for the app. This means that you can now secure your WhatsApp conversations with an additional layer of biometric security. And that also means you can bid goodbye to all those third-party app lockers or the thought of switching to an iPhone just for the sake of this feature.
In its recent blog post, WhatsApp has announced that the fingerprint lock authentication for all Android users. This new feature will basically allow users to secure their WhatsApp app with their fingerprint data every time someone opens the app on the phone. The feature was rolled out previously to iPhones where WhatsApp allowed its users to lock the app with TouchID or FaceID authentication. For Android devices, WhatsApp has only rolled out fingerprint authentication support for now.
If you are looking forward to employing an additional layer of security for your WhatsApp chats, you need to update the app from the Google Play Store. Once the update is installed, users need to navigate to the Settings and head into the Privacy setting under the Accounts section to access the feature. Users will see an option to turn on the fingerprint lock.
WhatsApp is also giving more options with regards to the new fingerprint unlock feature. Users can choose to let WhatsApp ask for fingerprint authentication as soon as one closes the app or they can set a specific time limit. Additionally, the app will also give an option to hide the content of the messages in the notifications for enhanced security.
Once the option is enabled, users will see the WhatsApp app ask for fingerprint data as soon as one opens it. Once the verification is done, the app will open and the user can access all the chats and messages. The feature should work on phones with conventional capacitive fingerprint sensors along with the modern in-display fingerprint sensors. Sadly, if your phone has face unlock systems, you can use it for biometric authentication for securing WhatsApp.
On iPhones, WhatsApp allows users to rely on TouchID as well as FaceID for securing the WhatsApp chats. FaceID is the only biometric option on modern iPhone models and hence, the support exists on iOS for now.