If you’ve ever been worried about someone peeking at your DMs, a new WhatsApp feature might save you some stress.
The messaging app could soon allow you to lock your private chats so they can be accessed only with biometric data, such as your fingerprint or a passcode.
A savvy user spotted the feature in an as-of-yet unreleased WhatsApp update that is currently being tested through the Google Play Beta Program.
This is a subscription service that gives Android users exclusive access to new versions of apps available on the Google Play store.
Screenshots shared on WABetaInfo reveal that WhatsApp users will be able to add a chat to a special list of ‘Locked Chats’.
Leaked screenshots reveal that WhatsApp users will be able to add a chat to a list of ‘locked chats’. These will only be accessible with biometric data, such as a fingerprint, or passcode
Accessing the messages inside it will require the user to enter their passcode or biometric data, adding an extra layer of security.
The leak also states that if someone tries to open a locked chat but cannot provide the necessary authentication, they will be given the option of having all the messages in it deleted to gain access.
Any media, like photos and videos, sent within a locked chat will also not automatically be saved to the phone’s gallery, helping to keep those private too.
This feature is available in WhatsApp version 2.23.8.2, currently undergoing beta testing, but its existence indicates it will be rolled out on the Android app soon.
Indeed, as most Apple devices also support biometric authentication, through fingerprint and Face ID, it is likely to be made available on the App Store version too.
Other WhatsApp features reportedly being tested through the Google Play Beta Program include the ability to send text and audio messages that are playable only once.
News of these privacy-focused additions come just a month after the head of WhatsApp, Will Cathcart, said he would rather the app be banned in the UK than remove end-to-end encryption.
