WhatsApp, the popular messaging app owned by Facebook, has incorporated new and useful features. In particular, users who have upgraded to the latest version of WhatsApp will notice that there is a new feature in the “Privacy” menu that has added support for Apple’s authentication technologies.
Where will you find the new feature?
After opening the app, under the new setting called “Screen Lock,” WhatsApp users on iOS can tap on another menu to add an extra layer of security, requiring either facial recognition or a fingerprint to unlock the app. iPhone users are now given the option of Face ID or Touch ID, depending on their hardware. The change is in version 2.19.20 of the WhatsApp app for iOS. Now, iPhone users can use the new feature to unlock WhatsApp. All users have to do is go to settings, then account, then privacy and enable “screen lock.
While WhatsApp uses the Signal protocol to protect users' communications through end-to-end encryption, even the best encryption in the world can't offer any protection if someone manages to get their hands on an unlocked device, as they can open the app and read everything. This was a problem until very recently, but at least there's a solution for iOS users.
Although the new feature is not enabled by default and may seem somewhat hidden in the menu, it is definitely a good security solution. The same feature is expected to come to Android. Finally, it should be mentioned that there are several third-party applications, which after the user downloads and gives permission, ask for a passcode to open other applications on the phone, in order to increase their security.
