WhatsApp Testing Password Protection For Desktop: Here's How It Will Work?

WhatsApp for desktops could soon have a layer of security to prevent unauthorized access. The Meta-owned instant messaging platform can be operated from iOS, Android, and its website. However, the ability to protect chats and content was available only on a smartphone. Let's see how WhatsApp for desktops could be secured in the near future.

WhatsApp For Desktop Getting Passcode Lock?

To prevent misuse or unauthorized access to WhatsApp on a desktop, Meta is testing the ability to lock the app. The "Screen Lock" feature is reportedly being tested and could soon be released via a beta version.

WhatsApp for desktop is a relatively simple app. It has an identical interface and supports several features that are available in smartphone apps. However, users cannot secure the app separately. If a PC or the laptop on which WhatsApp is installed is left unattended, the platform becomes vulnerable to unauthorized usage.

The WhatsApp app on smartphones, including iOS and Android, is usually protected by the devices' standard security layers. Additionally, the app itself has an optional setting to prevent unauthorized use.

Android and iOS users usually protect their devices with security features that need fingerprint, PIN, and user's face to unlock the device. Users can unlock the app, after unlocking their devices, using their fingerprints on an Android smartphone or Touch ID or Face ID on an iPhone.

How To Secure WhatsApp For Desktop?

Smartphones usually have a fingerprint scanner and a front-facing camera to support biometric security features. Desktop PCs and laptops may lack these features. Hence, Meta seems to be testing the ability to lock WhatsApp for desktops, using a passcode.

Meta may offer the feature as an option. In other words, just like the Android and iOS versions, WhatsApp for desktops can choose to use the messaging platform without securing the same with an additional layer of security.

The feature being tested also has a rather rudimentary way to unlock WhatsApp for the desktop, in case the user forgets the passcode. While changing a password could be a simple process, resetting the same currently requires users to log out of their WhatsApp desktop app and log in again by linking their device with the QR code.

Additionally, users can always use their smartphones to log out of the WhatsApp app that's installed and running on a desktop or laptop. This too would reset the passcode.