WhatsApp is about to become easier to log into on the iPhone. That’s thanks to a new feature, already on Android phones, which is being rolled out to Apple phones now.
WhatsApp just got 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 was coming, in a post on X which reads, “passkeys are rolling out now on iOS…a more secure (and easier!) way to log back in with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.”
It goes on to explain why you might like to use this feature.
First, it says, “it’s a more secure way to login and lets us know it’s really you.” Then, it says, “traveling? no network? no problem… passkeys let you skip the SMS code.”
That’s a definite advantage to avoid the SMS confirmation code which sometimes takes an age to arrive (or, as WhatsApp says, can’t come at all if you don’t have service).
Though it’s also true to say that if you don’t have a network connection, the uses of WhatsApp are somewhat curtailed.
Passkeys, as you will likely know, use the iPhone’s biometrics such as Face ID or Touch ID for login, for example. You can already unlock the app with 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 an authentication credential on your device, and this pairs with one saved by the app or service, such as WhatsApp, that you want to access.
Note that it hasn’t reached every iPhone yet, but if you want to turn it on, here’s how you do. First, open the app and go to Settings and from there to the Account section. Here, if the feature is live, you’ll see an option marked Passkeys. If it’s not there, practice patience. If it is there, tap it.
Engadget pointed out that “Passkey verification will make logging back into WhatsApp easier and more secure. We’re excited to launch this on WhatsApp and give users an added layer of security,” Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp’s head of product, said in a statement.
April 25 update. And more convenience is already at hand, this time for Android users. As reported by Abner Li at 9to5Google, an extra level of instantaneous access has just been provided for users of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Until now, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro would only allow users to use the fingerprint sensor or PIN code to unlock WhatsApp.
Now, face unlock is available, too. Facial recognition is a system often considered less secure, apart from on the iPhone, so is not used for every feature. On the Pixel 8 Pro it can be used for tap-to-pay and banking apps.
And now for WhatsApp as well. If the camera can’t see you, the app requires a fingerprint unlock after a few seconds, but if it can, then a light circles the camera as the unlock occurs.
It’s another example of WhatsApp ensuring it can offer a strong balance between security and accessibility.