WhatsApp testing biometric locking ability for individual chats

Damien Wilde | Apr 4 2023 - 2:53 am PT

It’s often amazing that as one of the world’s biggest messaging platforms, WhatsApp lacks several functions that are found in rival services like Telegram and Signal. It seems that WhatsApp is testing biometric locking for individual chats in the latest beta.

According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp beta v2.23.8.2 shows signs of adding biometric locking for individual chats and even group messages. This added layer of security might be a welcome promise for those that use WhatsApp as their main communication platform.

Currently, you can lock WhatsApp using a PIN, fingerprint, or Face Unlock model. However, this fully locks access to the application itself. This function would allow you to lock specific chats with a fingerprint or passcode. Being able to do this would be great if you want to create a greater level of privacy for communications.

You’ll only be able to view specific WhatsApp chats after you have scanned your fingerprint. They will be hidden until you have done this. You’ll be able to hit the three-dot menu for any messages or group chats and choose the “Chat lock” option.

This offers up a “Lock this chat with fingerprint” toggle. When enabled a new “Locked chats” section keeps these secure and out of the view of anyone hoping to get a glimpse of your communications. Anyone attempting to open this chat from the main WhatsApp app view will be unable until a fingerprint has been scanned.

As noted in the original report, these early signs of biometric locks for individual WhatsApp chats are only appearing in the latest WhatsApp beta v2.23.8.2 update for Android. It is in the early phases of development, and while this evidence suggests how it might work like many WhatsApp functions, it could be scrapped before it has the opportunity to come to a future release.