You can soon lock and unlock WhatsApp app with fingerprint sensor

Now, you don’t have to rely on third-party applications to lock the WhatsApp app on your phone.

WhatsApp could introduce biometric authentication for locking and unlocking the smartphone. (REUTERS)

WhatsApp will soon allow users to lock and unlock the application through fingerprint sensor or other biometric authentication on their device. iPhone users can soon use TouchID and Face ID to add another layer of protection on the application.

It is worth pointing out here that WhatsApp does not have any in-app lock feature. Last year, Alan Kao, a Software Engineer at WhatsApp, had acknowledged that the company had received a lot of request for such feature.

"WhatsApp does not have any password system built into the app. If you wish to put a password lock, you will need to use a third party app," the company says on its FAQ section.

The catch is that most of the third-party app locking applications are unsafe and come with malware or adware. These apps also make the WhatsApp app and overall phone a bit slow.

WhatsApp hasn't officially announced the feature yet. But it has already been spotted in recent beta versions of the application.

"After working to implement Face ID and Touch ID features on iOS (that aren't available yet for development reasons), WhatsApp has finally started to work on the Authentication feature on Android, using your Fingerprint!" said a WABetainfo report.

The latest feature will be baked into Privacy menu under the Settings.

"The user will need to authenticate his identity in order to open WhatsApp (from the app icon, from the notification or from external pickers). It will protect the entire app, so it's not used to lock specific conversations," the report added.

Apart from biometric authentication, WhatsApp is working on a range of new features. One of the most awaited features is revamped audio message. According to reports, WhatsApp will soon allow users to preview the message before sending it to any chat.