One of the key feature WhatsApp has been missing all these days is an option to lock it with a PIN or Fingerprint.
Because of this, you might be using a 3rd party Applock app to lock WhatsApp. And there are plenty of Applock apps in Playstore, but none of them work properly and can be easily bypassed.
So, there is a need for WhatsApp to have natively supported App lock feature. And finally, they added Fingerprint lock feature in WhatsApp beta 2.19.222. You can now set Fingerprint lock on WhatsApp and select time. When WhatsApp is in background or Phone is locked, after the delay you have set, WhatsApp will be locked and you can touch Fingerprint sensor to unlock it.
In this post, we will see how you can put a Fingerprint lock for WhatsApp without installing any 3rd party App lock applications.
How to Enable Fingerprint lock protection on WhatsApp
The Fingerprint lock feature is only supported on devices running Android Marshmallow or higher with a Fingerprint sensor.
Also, currently, the Fingerprint lock feature is only released for WhatsApp beta users (v2.19.222). So, if you are a beta user, just update the app to the latest version.
If you are not beta user, you can become a beta tester here and then update WhatsApp to latest version. Else, you have to wait until WhatsApp releases the feature to all users. Once you have the latest version, follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Account > Privacy.
- Now under Privacy settings, look for the option “Fingerprint lock” and tap on it.
- If you have added Fingerprint on your phone, you just have to Confirm it. Otherwise, you will be prompted to set up a new fingerprint for your phone first and then confirm it. (Remember, the same fingerprint is used to unlock your both your phone and WhatsApp).
- The fingerprint lock will be enabled now. You can set it to lock WhatsApp immediately after you put it in the background or Lock your phone, or set it to lock after 1 min/30 mins. Also, you can hide the Notification content by disabling the option “Show Content in Notifications”.
Do note that, if you disable the option – “Show Content in Notifications”, you can’t quickly reply from the notification. That’s it, you have just added Fingerprint protection to WhatsApp.
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WhatsApp states that the Fingerprint Authentication is done through Android API, so they don’t store any Biometric data which ensures better security.
Conclusion
The feature is very useful for many people, but as of now Fingerprint is the only way of Biometric lock that WhatsApp supports, there is no Face unlock or PIN / Password protection. This could be a problem for people who use Entry-level smartphones with no Fingerprint sensor.
Hope, this post is helpful. If it is, please share it on Social media. And stay tuned for more tech updates and tips
