Facebook adds biometric unlocking to Messenger on iOS

Facebook has added biometric unlocking with facial or fingerprint recognition for the Messenger app on iPhone and iPad, with Android availability to follow in the near future, writes VentureBeat.

Last month, Facebook was reported to be testing the feature on a select number of users, as it wanted “to give people more choices and controls to protect their private messages” when sharing devices with others. Face ID and Touch ID authentication have already been available on WhatsApp for a year.

Depending on how the device is set up, the new App Lock feature can either use biometric unlocking or a standard PIN. Facebook assures users that it does not collect biometric data, which stays on the user’s device. The feature can be activated in Messenger’s Privacy section.

Facebook has not yet addressed end-to-end encryption for Messenger, but it claims to be working on more privacy features, including message and call filtering. According to VentureBeat, Facebook is already developing a feature similar to one already available on WhatsApp and Instagram that blurs images sent from unknown accounts.

Article Topics

access control  |  authentication  |  biometrics  |  Face ID  |  Facebook  |  facial recognition  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  iOS  |  Touch ID