WhatsApp is the world’s most popular chat app, boasting an incredible 1.5 billion regular users around the world. The messaging platform regularly rolls out a raft of new features to optimise the experience. And the latest upgrade aims to make WhatsApp more secure than ever.
WhatsApp users will soon be offered the option to scan their fingerprints before their chats can be accessed.
This update means a phone can be lent to friends without running the risk the are snooping on your private conversations.
The major update is reportedly still in the “alpha stage” of development, meaning it may be a while messaging service is available to all.
The WhatsApp fingerprint scanning update was announced by WABetaInfo, which trawls through unreleased builds of WhatsApp.
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WABetaInfo said in a statement: “The app will be completely protected, so the user will need to authenticate his identity in order to open WhatsApp.
“It will protect the entire app, so it’s not used to lock specific conversations.”
The cutting-edge update is understood to arrive with Android’s forthcoming v2.19.3 upgrade.
WhatsApp chats famously end-to-end encrypted, meaning only those people in conversations can access the content.
However end-to-end encryption becomes obsolete if someone has access to your smartphone.
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The fingerprint scanning update will solve this issue by including yet another level of protection.
But it should not need saying that a phone with a fingerprint scanner is necessary for the next-generation security tool to work.
Fingerprint scanning is not the only update announced for WhatsApp.
Group Chats will also be improved with the Reply Privately upgrade, letting users to include stickers to your images, videos and GIFs.
This upgrade will arrive with WhatsApp’s 2.19.10 iOS update.
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WhatsApp is yet to reveal the official release date for the download, but it is expected any day soon.
WABetaInfo has also insisted WhatsApp is preparing Face ID compatibility for Apple iPhones.
But, just like the Android feature, a precise release date is currently unknown.
However, these rafts of updates illustrate WhatsApp’s determination to tackle the security of its application and the move will no doubt be appreciated by its 1.5 billion regular users.
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