WhatsApp Enables Touch ID, Face ID Security

“…they’ve not only delivered support for fingerprint authentication via the Touch ID system built into older iPhones, but have also delivered a facial recognition option based on the Face ID system used for authentication in Apple’s latest iPhone models.”

WhatsApp users can now take advantage of the biometric security capabilities of the iPhone, thanks to a new software update. Version 2.19.20 of the messaging app features new security settings allowing users to require a biometric scan every time they open the app, further protecting their private communications from the eyes of others.

The new functionality arrives after a report from about a month ago indicating that WhatsApp’s engineers were working on a fingerprint unlock system for the Android version of the platform. On the iPhone, though, they’ve not only delivered support for fingerprint authentication via the Touch ID system built into older iPhones, but have also delivered a facial recognition option based on the Face ID system used for authentication in Apple’s latest iPhone models.

It’s the latest show of support for Apple’s 3D, infrared face scanning system since its debut in late 2017, with a growing number of third party software developers recognizing its security and convenience as a new means of biometric authentication for end users. And more broadly, the new WhatsApp authentication options demonstrate the growing reach and popularity of biometric security mechanisms across the mobile device ecosystem.

Sources: TechCrunch, 9to5Mac

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February 4, 2019 – by Alex Perala