WhatsApp has added a fingerprint lock feature for Android users.
The feature, which has been available to iOS, now comes with the latest Android beta version 2.19.221 and is disabled by default. Users will have to go to Settings to enable it.
The fingerprint lock feature will allow users to add a layer of protection to their chats, keeping lurking intruders away. There is also a new ‘show content in notifications’ option added to allow users to decide to show or hide message and sender preview when the fingerprint lock is enabled.
Users can enable the fingerprint lock option by going to WhatApp Settings ˃ Account ˃ Privacy ˃ Fingerprint lock. If you have updated to the latest version and don’t see the feature, try backing up chat history and reinstalling the same WhatsApp version. The feature requires the phone to be running on Android Marshmallow or higher, with a fingerprint scanner.
When enabled, users will need to use fingerprint authentication to unlock WhatsApp and gain access. There are three options for ‘automatically lock’ to choose from. The options are: immediately, after 1 minute, and after 30 minutes. Users are free to choose any that they prefer. Choosing the ‘immediately’ option will require the user to authenticate via fingerprint every time they close and open the app.
There is also a 15-minute option on the iOS app but it hasn’t been added to the Android version. In Android, there is a new option called ‘Show content’ in notifications. So users can decide if they want to show or hide message and sender preview when the Fingerprint lock is enabled.
If this option is not enabled, users can still answer WhatsApp calls and reply messages from notifications because the authentication is only set to when you want to open WhatsApp.
