Skip to main content

How to use fingerprint lock to protect your WhatsApp chats on Android

WhatsApp doesn't have password protection, but the service lets you secure your messages with biometric authentication instead. If you enable this feature, you'll have to unlock the app with your fingerprint to view your chats. Here's how to get started with fingerprint lock on WhatsApp for Android.

How to protect your WhatsApp chats with fingerprint lock on Android

  1. Open the WhatsApp app.
  2. Tap the action overflow menu (three vertical dots) on the top right corner.
  3. Hit Settings.

  4. Tap Account.
  5. Tap Privacy.
  6. Scroll down to see all the options.

  7. Tap Fingerprint lock.
  8. Toggle Unlock with fingerprint to On.
  9. Verify using your fingerprint to enable the feature.

  10. Once active, you'll be able to set a time for when WhatsApp automatically locks. There are three options in the Automatically lock settings:
    • Immediately: Locks WhatsApp as soon as you exit the app. You'll need to use your fingerprint every time to view messages.
    • After 1 minute: Locks WhatsApp one minute after you exit the app.
    • After 30 minutes: Locks WhatsApp 30 minutes after you exit the app. Use this if you need to secure your account but don't want to unlock every time.
  11. You can also disable message previews from showing up in the notification shade. Toggle Show content in notifications to Off to make sure messages don't show up on the lock screen or notification panel.

You will still be able to take audio and video calls even when WhatsApp is locked, as the feature is primarily aimed at securing your messages. Fingerprint lock brings much-needed privacy controls to your WhatsApp account, and if you're worried about someone else reading your messages, you now know how to set it up and use.

How to protect your WhatsApp Web chats

WhatsApp has rolled out a new feature where you'll need to use biometric authorization before you can link a device to WhatsApp Web. You don't need to set anything up; the feature is already live on WhatsApp, and if you want to link a new device to use WhatsApp Web, you will need biometric authentication.

  1. Open WhatsApp.
  2. Tap the action overflow menu (three vertical dots) on the top right corner.
  3. Hit WhatsApp Web.

  4. Choose Link a device.
  5. Use your fingerprint.
  6. Use the QR code reader to scan the QR code on the device you're linking.

Once you authorize a device, WhatsApp Web will be accessible without a password or PIN as long as that device is linked to your account. There's no way to secure your chats on the web client, but for what it's worth this is a positive move. With well over a billion users, WhatsApp is one of the largest messaging platforms available, and it runs just as well on cheap Android phones as it does on flagships.



Source: androidcentral

Popular posts from this blog

The hidden cost of food delivery

Noah Lichtenstein Contributor Share on Twitter Noah Lichtenstein is the founder and managing partner of Crossover , a diversified private technology fund backed by institutional investors, technology execs and professional athletes and entertainers. More posts by this contributor What Studying Students Teaches Us About Great Apps I’ll admit it: When it comes to food, I’m lazy. There are dozens of great dining options within a few blocks of my home, yet I still end up ordering food through delivery apps four or five times per week. With the growing coronavirus pandemic closing restaurants and consumers self-isolating, it is likely we will see a spike in food delivery much like the 20% jump China reported during the peak of its crisis. With the food delivery sector rocketing toward a projected $365 billion by the end of the decade, I’m clearly not the only one turning to delivery apps even before the pandemic hit. Thanks to technology (and VC funding) we can get a ri

Cyber Monday Canada: Last-minute deals for everyone on your list

Best Cyber Monday Canada deals: Smart Home Audio Phones, Tablets & Accessories Wearables Laptops & PC Components Amazon products Gaming Televisions Cameras Lifestyle & Kitchen Toys & Kids Cyber Monday Canada is here, and retailers are rolling out the red carpet for customers who want to shop for everything from tech to kitchenware to games and everything in between. Unlike years past, Cyber Monday Canada deals look a bit different than normal. Instead of retailers trying to pack their stores with as many shoppers as possible, we're seeing tons of online deals that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your home. We've rounded up our favorites below, so feel free to browse through the best of what Canada Cyber Monday has to offer! This list is being updated with new Cyber Monday deals all the time, so check back often. Spotlight deals It's a Switch Nintendo Switch Fortnite Edition bundle $399.95 at Amazon It's a Switch.

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: 50+ Differences Compared

The iPhone 15 Pro brings over 50 new features and improvements to Apple's high-end smartphones compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, which was released two years prior. This buyer's guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations and helps you to decide whether it's worth upgrading. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro debuted in 2021, introducing a brighter display with ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, Macro photography and photographic styles, Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field, ProRes video recording, a 1TB storage option, and five hours of additional battery life. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro was discontinued upon the announcement of the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022, but it is still possible to get hold of it second-hand. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you and serves as a way to c

Slack’s new integration deal with AWS could also be about tweaking Microsoft

Slack and Amazon announced a big integration late yesterday afternoon. As part of the deal, Slack will use Amazon Chime for its call feature, while reiterating its commitment to use AWS as its preferred cloud provider to run its infrastructure. At the same time, AWS has agreed to use Slack for internal communications. Make no mistake, this is a big deal as the SaaS communications tool increases its ties with AWS, but this agreement could also be about slighting Microsoft and its rival Teams product by making a deal with a cloud rival. In the past Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield has had choice words for Microsoft saying the Redmond technology giant sees his company as an “existential threat.” Whether that’s true or not — Teams is but one piece of a huge technology company — it’s impossible not to look at the deal in this context. Aligning more deeply with AWS sends a message to Microsoft, whose Azure infrastructure services compete with AWS. Butterfield didn’t say that of course