WhatsApp On Android Now Supports Fingerprint Unlock, Here’s How You Can Set It Up

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WhatsApp has finally introduced the fingerprint unlock feature on Android, months after it was made available to the iOS users. The new feature will allow Android users to secure their chats from unauthorized access. With the new update, the app can be configured to open only when the user provides his/her biometrics data. However, Android users can still answer voice/video calls on WhatsApp even if the app is locked.

 
How To Enable WhatsApp Fingerprint Unlock On Android Smartphones

The extra layer of biometrics security is similar to what you might have used on banking and finance applications. Sadly, the face unlock feature isn't rolled out to Android users and is only restricted to iOS devices. There's no official word on when the face recognition unlock feature will be made available to Android users.

 

Here's how you can set it up

Tap Settings > Account > Privacy > Fingerprint lock.

Turn on Unlock with fingerprint, and confirm your fingerprint.

WhatsApp also mentioned that the biometrics support on Android will only work on the supported Android phones. What this means is that the biometric lock can be only be configured on the Android devices that feature a fingerprint scanner.

The automatic lock feature is also provided and can be customized to lock the app immediately, after 1 minute or after 30 minutes of closing the application. Besides, you can also customize the content to be made visible in the notifications when the Android device is locked.

WhatsApp was found testing the feature for Android devices back in August in the beta phase. Notably, the extra layer of biometrics is already available on iOS devices. WhatsApp rolled out Touch ID and Face ID security features for iOS users in February 2019.

If you have an Android phone without a fingerprint scanner, you can install third-party apps from Google Play Store to secure your WhatsApp chats. Several third-party applications are available on Play Store that allos you to add passcode security to apps that don't have it. Applications like Norton App Lock, IObit Applock, etc. can help you secure your chats, pictures and other form of sensitive data from prying eyes.

The Android fingerprint lock feature comes just after the news of a big disclosure by WhatsApp that talks about an Israeli spyware, called Pegasus. The sophisticated spyware is capable of stealing sensitive information like passwords, contacts, messages, notes and even the data recorded on the voice calls made on WhatsApp. Pegasus was allegedly found snooping on journalists and human rights activists in India and 19 other countries globally. As per the recent developments, WhatsApp has sued the NSO Group that created the spyware.

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