WhatsApp is about to get easier to log in on iPhone. This is thanks to a new feature that already exists on Android phones, and which is now being rolled out to Apple phones.
WhatsApp has become much easier to use.
April 25 update below. This post was first published on April 24, 2024.
The company announced on April 24 that the new feature is coming Share on X Which reads: “Passkeys are now rolling out to iOS… a safer (and easier!) way to sign back in with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.”
It goes on to explain why you might want to use this feature.
First, it says: “It's a more secure way to sign in and allows us to really know who you are.” Then he says: Traveling? No network? No problem…passkeys let you skip the SMS code.”
This is a definite advantage to avoid an SMS confirmation code that sometimes takes a long time to arrive (or, as WhatsApp says, can't arrive at all if you don't have the service).
Although it is also true to say that if you do not have a network connection, the uses of WhatsApp will be somewhat reduced.
Passkeys, as you probably know, use your iPhone's biometrics like Face ID or Touch ID to sign in, for example. You can already unlock the app using these biometrics but this new addition takes things a step further and is a definite step up in terms of convenience.
Passkeys work by storing authentication credentials on your device, and are associated with data saved by the app or service, such as WhatsApp, that you want to access.
Note that it's not coming to every iPhone yet, but if you want to get it working, here's how to do it. First, open the app and go to Settings and from there to the Account section. Here, if the feature is active, you'll see an option labeled Passkeys. If not, exercise patience. If it is there, click on it.
Engadget “Verifying the passkey will make logging back into WhatsApp easier and more secure,” he noted. “We are excited to launch this on WhatsApp and give users an additional layer of security,” Alice Newton-Rex, head of WhatsApp product, said in a statement.
Updated April 25. And more convenience is already at hand, this time for Android users. As reported by Abner Lee in 9to5GoogleAn additional level of instant access has been provided for Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro users. Until now, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro only allowed users to use their fingerprint sensor or PIN to unlock WhatsApp.
And now face unlock is also available. Facial recognition is often considered less secure, with the exception of the iPhone, so it's not used for every feature. It can be used on the Pixel 8 Pro for payment and banking apps.
And now for WhatsApp as well. If the camera can't see you, the app requires your fingerprint to unlock after a few seconds, but if it's possible, a light around the camera will light up when the unlock occurs.
It's another example of WhatsApp ensuring that it can provide a strong balance between security and accessibility.
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