The use of biometric authentication to secure applications on Android and iOS is increasingly becoming popular. WhatsApp is among the few apps with a built-in biometric-dependant privacy feature that ensures only you can open the messaging app.
Until this point, the platform had not added a similar security feature when logging in on its browser-based desktop application. Now, WhatsApp has added that feature adding more security to your chats. As long as your phone has biometric authentication – fingerprint or face – WhatsApp can help secure your private conversations by asking for verification before logging in on the desktop app.
According to the company, the feature will prevent other users from linking your account to their desktop if they have access to your phone.
Biometric authentication for desktop sign-in will be used by default on iPhones running iOS 14 as long as they have FaceID or TouchID. The same applies to Android phones with biometric authentication.
In case you wish to log on to the desktop without taking the extra verification step, you’ll have to disable biometric authentication across the entire phone, which has profound security implications.
And since data privacy has been under the spotlight lately, it’s inevitable to clear the air by stating that this doesn’t permit Facebook, WhatsApp’s parent company, or WhatsApp itself from accessing your biometric information. The feature uses the built-in biometric data API – on iPhone and Android – like other apps, including banking apps, to add a security layer to individual user accounts.
The new security feature will be available on compatible devices soon, according to WhatsApp.
WhatsApp already has several security protocols in place to prevent third-party users from accessing your account or private chats.
The two-step verification feature allows users to set a 6-digit code that one will be asked when registering their number with WhatsApp again. Plus, the fingerprint lock-feature – available on supported devices – lets users secure their app by preventing physical third-party access.
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