FB pixel

WhatsApp looks to add more biometric security layers

WhatsApp looks to add more biometric security layers
 

WhatsApp subscribers reportedly will be able to biometrically lock individual chats, according to Android Police, filling a perceived security gap in Meta’s popular messaging service, which is known to tout its privacy safeguards.

WhatsApp can be unlocked with a passcode, fingerprint or face. But subscribers cannot use biometrics to lock individual chat threads. That may change with the next update to Play Store, version 2.23.8.2, which reportedly will incorporate a toggle, now in development, to lock and hide chats with a fingerprint or passcode.

The news is welcome to those who trust what Meta maintains is the app’s security superiority. It includes two-factor authentication, end-to-end encrypted backup and fingerprint lock. In an Instagram post from October, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg claimed that “WhatsApp is far more private and secure than iMessage,” Apple’s instant messaging product. But WhatsApp has lagged competitors like Telegram in incorporating advanced biometric features.

WhatsApp has more than 2.44 billion subscribers globally, according to statistics-publisher Statista. The app has been a vehicle in several scams to defraud people.

Article Topics

 |   |   |   | 

Latest Biometrics News

 

States push ahead on AI regulation as Congress falters

This month, the U.S. Senate voted to strike down a controversial provision in President Trump’s sweeping tax and spending package…

 

Congress charts diverging paths on AI in FY 2026 defense bills

As the Pentagon races to integrate AI across all operations of each of the services, Congress is laying down distinct,…

 

UK Home Office working on rules for police use of LFR

The UK Home Office is in the process of crafting a governance framework for the use of live facial recognition…

 

Under-display 3D face biometrics reaches testing on Chinese smartphones: leaker

Apple users are accustomed to using the Face ID feature in their iPhones, but reports suggest a crop of Chinese…

 

New document reader from Regula reads cards on both sides simultaneously

Regula has released a new embedded document reader, the Regula 7223E. A release says the device, based on the desktop…

 

Big; bigger; biggest: IN Groupe CEO plots course with more digital ID tools

The completed acquisition of Idemia Smart Identity by IN Groupe earlier this month is the latest in a series of…

Comments

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Biometric Market Analysis

Most Viewed This Week

Featured Company

Biometrics Insight, Opinion

Digital ID In-Depth

Biometrics White Papers

Biometrics Events