WhatsApp – one of the most popular messaging platforms is soon going to bring a security update for its iOS app. This update is expected to provide users with the ability to lock their WhatsApp to increase security and use either the TouchID or FaceID to authenticate them. This is not the first time a messaging app is going to implement such a feature on their app. In the past, apps like Signal and Telegram have already included this feature to enhance the security of the app and its user’s data.
There are times when you have to give your phone to someone else, and in some cases, you are wary of that person’s intent. In such scenarios, you are always on the look for a third-party app that allows you to lock WhatsApp and keep it safe using either a passcode or your biometrics. Unfortunately, unlike Android, that allows you to download a third-party application to lock apps on your phone, iOS does not provide the same privilege, and thus, it is very much up to the app developer whether they feel the need to include such a security feature on their app by default.
With an update released a few days back, WhatsApp is now expected to be working on another one that adds the new security feature to enhance its app’s security. This update is expected to be released sometime later. Once released, WhatsApp users owning any iPhone from iPhone 5s to iPhone 8 can use the TouchID to unlock WhatsApp on their phones, while the ones using iPhone X or later would get the option of FaceID instead.
To enable this feature, all you need to do is:
- Open WhatsApp and hit the ‘Settings’ tab below.
- Click on ‘Account’ and go into ‘Privacy’ on the next screen.
- Once done, you will see an option below the Read Receipts that reads, ‘Require TouchID’.
- Toggle it ON.
That’s it!
Now, every time you open WhatsApp on your iPhone, you will be prompted with a message, “Require TouchID”, asking you to unlock the app using either TouchID or FaceID. In case it fails to find a match, it will ask for a passcode instead, which is similar to the prompt that you get when your phone fails to authenticate you while unlocking your device.