• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Our Services
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Top Nav Social Icons

Mobile ID World

Mobile ID World

Identification Revolution

FaceTec banner
  • Mobile ID
    • What Is Mobile ID?
    • Identity Associations
    • Premier Partners
    • FAQ
  • News
  • Solutions
    • Behavioral
    • Facial Recognition
    • Fingerprint Biometrics
    • Iris Biometrics
    • Second Factor
    • Smart Cards
    • Smartphones
    • Vital
    • Voice
    • Wearable Tech
    • Other
  • Applications
    • Access Control
    • Cloud Technology
    • Commerce
    • Enterprise
    • Healthcare
    • Identification
    • Internet of Things
    • Law Enforcement
    • Strong Online Authentication
  • Exclusive
    • Interviews
    • Featured Articles
    • Podcasts
  • Companies
  • Events

WhatsApp Brings Biometric Authentication to Desktop Users

February 1, 2021

Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp has announced that a new update will allow most users to use biometrics and multi-factor authentication if they want to sync their account with WhatsApp’s browser or desktop app.

WhatsApp Brings Biometric Authentication to Desktop Users

The update will be limited to those among its 2 billion users that have WhatsApp installed on device with biometric capabilities.

For iPhone it will apply to anyone with Face ID or Touch ID and iOS 14 or greater installed, while Android users will need to have either a Face Unlock, Fingerprint Unlock, or Iris Unlock-capable smartphone.

When the new feature is available and the user tries to access their WhatsApp account on either the web or desktop app, they will be prompted to authenticate their identity using whichever biometric modality they have on their device. Once successful, the user will then be asked to continue with the familiar QR code scan to officially sync the account across the two devices, after which they will be able to send and receive messages from their computer.

In September of 2020, an analysis of code from an unreleased beta version of WhatsApp’s web app revealed the messaging platform was preparing to add fingerprint authentication for its Android users.

“As people increasingly use WhatsApp Web and desktop to communicate privately with their friends and family, we wanted to introduce an additional security protection to provide peace of mind to users,” a WhatsApp spokesperson told USA Today.

As for any privacy concerns that will undoubtedly arise from allowing a Facebook entity access to even more personal data, the company says that the app can’t actually access the biometric information as it is stored on the user’s device’s operating system and is therefore out of their reach.

Last week, it was revealed that WhatsApp for Business — the app’s enterprise version — would be getting a biometric voice authentication feature courtesy of a joint effort between biometric solutions provider ID R&D and conversation management platform Wittybots by SimpleTech.

Sources: USAToday, Apple Insider, Android Central

Filed Under: Industry NewsTagged With: Android, Biometric, biometric authentication, biometrics, face biometrics, Face ID, Face Unlock, Facebook, facial recognition, Fingerprint biometrics, iPhone, iris recognition, two factor authentication, WhatsApp

Related News & Articles

Face ID Protects Healthcare Focused Spending App

Jumio Celebrates InfoSec Award Wins

Cerner Adds Nuance Voice Assistant to EHR Platform

Primary Sidebar

IDEMIA big box

Read the Latest Year in Review Analysis:

FacePhi Selphi

Tweets

FacePhi Selphi

Sponsored Links

FACEPHI is a global leader in Facial Recognition technology and in Mobile Biometrics technologies. With a strong concentration in the financial sector, FacePhi's product is rapidly becoming a service used by banks all over the world. Its implementation doesn’t just save money, it is also a way to attract clients and build loyalty, while increasing the security of transactions for both the customer and the business. To learn more about FacePhi, visit https://www.facephi.com/en/
IDEMIA big box

Recent Posts

  • Fingerprint Sensors, Selfie Biometrics, Ankle Bracelets and More: This Week’s Top Stories
  • Goodix Places Fingerprint and Audio Tech in New realme Smartphone
  • Mastercard, Samsung Team Up On Biometric Payment Card Solution
  • BioIntelliSense Provides BioStickers to Track Effectiveness of Cancer Treatments
  • Yubico Makes Passwordless Authentication Generally Available for Azure AD Users
FacePhi Selphi

Footer

  • About Us
  • Company Directory
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Archives

Follow Us

Copyright © 2021 MobileIDWorld