WhatsApp's security will soon be beefier with its upcoming feature.
The company behind the popular secure messaging app is reportedly adding a passkey login/sign-in method to WhatsApp, giving users a more secure method to log into their accounts.
WhatsApp's passkey login method is only one of the most recent features the company developing and testing behind the scenes.
Logos - Stock Pictures An image of a woman holding a cell phone in front of a WhatsApp Messenger logo displayed on a computer screen. On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
WhatsApp PAsskey Login Method Details
WhatsApp users would be familiar with how to sign into their accounts for the first time on a new device. They could scan a QR code to access their account on the new device, while others can provide their login credentials the old-fashioned way.
The company will even give users the ability to verify their identities and log into their accounts using their email addresses soon, provided that they provide their email addresses to the company first for easier login.
However, WhatsApp may have felt like providing an email-based login method is not enough; it is reportedly developing a login method that uses a passkey, per WABetaInfo.
According to the publication, WhatsApp's 2.23.17.5 update for its Android beta program contains a feature still-in-development that lets users log/sign into their account using a passkey based on their fingerprint, face, or screen lock. For those unaware, a passkey is a login method that uses unique digital keys that aren't reusable for passwordless logins instead of traditional passwords and PINs, per Tom's Guide.
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One special advantage that a Passkey has over other login methods is that users don't need to remember them; they are stored and encrypted within a user's device. In the case of WhatsApp's Android beta, the passkey is stored in a user's Google Password Manager.
WhatsApp intends to have this feature act as a way to verify a user's identity, much like its upcoming email address-based login/verification method.
Since WhatsApp's passkey feature is still under development, beta testers can't try the feature out anytime soon. To say nothing of when the feature will come to the public by a future update.
However, it is only a matter of time before they can in a future update to WhatsApp's beta program for Android users.
Other WhatsApp Features To Look Forward To
Apart from the passkey and email login/verification methods, WhatsApp is working on other features to improve the app and users' experience while using it. You may recall it is working on a new feature that allows voice chat communication between groups, allowing up to 32 participants from separate groups to talk to each other through the app.
It is also working on a chat list filter that lets users see messages by their classification.
The company also released a redesigned sticker and GIF picker for iOS devices - a feature it previously worked on that got a public release in early July. It allows users to search for their favorite stickers and GIF reactions more easily than before.
These features will arrive on the app in future updates, though WhatsApp doesn't reveal when these features will become available.
Related Article:WhatsApp Beta Tests Group Voice Chats
