It looks like WhatsApp is coming up with a new feature for the iPhone users now. According to WABetaInfo, iOS users will start getting the authentication feature today onwards. Notably, the feature will be available for the beta iPhone users right now. The report suggests that the Authentication feature will be available for beta users running on WhatsApp version number 2.19.20.19.
How the Feature Works?
Reports of the Authentication feature has been making rounds on the internet for a long time now, but until now, the feature wasn't available to the public. As the report notes, "Finally today WhatsApp has released the feature for all beta testers, and we have noticed some small improvements." To enable the Authentication feature users can simply head to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy. Just in case if you're an iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS or another other new iPhone user, you will be able to use the Face ID. For older iPhone users there's always Touch ID available.
To enable the Authentication feature all that the WhatsApp users will need to do is select Screen Lock option. Notably, "Enabling the feature won’t prevent you to reply messages from notifications and answer WhatsApp calls without the authentication."
There are also some more options available to enable this new WhatsApp feature. In one of the many, the user will simply need to close WhatsApp and reopen the app again. Basically, all the user will need to do is "authenticate their identity in order to use WhatsApp".
In incidents when the iPhone fails to detect the user’s identity, the person can choose to enter the iPhone Passcode to open WhatsApp. It is important to note that when the Authentication feature is enabled, "WhatsApp doesn’t show the preview snapshot in the background, presenting an empty view."
Other WhatsApp Features
WhatsApp introduced several features last year to overall improve and enhance the user experience. In 2018 WhatsApp released some of the most awaited features like group calls, stickers, payments, among other things. The Facebook-owned messaging platform recently was in the news for not so good reason. There were incidents of lynching reported caused due to WhatsApp forwards. As a result of which WhatsApp recently limited the forwards to just five people at a time. In 2019, WhatsApp is said to bring new features including the most awaited dark mode.
