You can now unlock WhatsApp with your fingerprint on your Android smartphone, here is how

While to be able to unlock apps using PINs has its advantages, most of the users are better off with the biometric authentication system, or at least that’s what the current trend suggests — every tech giant is considering deploying a biometric authentication solution into their system. And WhatsApp is no exception.

In a blog post, WhatsApp has announced that WhatsApp users on Android will now be able to use fingerprint to unlock WhatsApp. This extra layer of security first came to the iOS counterpart of WhatsApp, allowing iPhone users to unlock the instant chat messenger with TouchID or FaceID.

That said, your Android smartphone must have support for the biometric authentication system. In other words, your Andriod smartphone needs to be equipped with a fingerprint sensor to take advantage of this new feature.

Setting up the fingerprint unlock feature in WhatsApp on Android smartphone is as easy as taping on a screen. To enable it, all you need to do is tap Settings > Account > Privacy > Fingerprint lock.

One important point to note here is that you’ll still be able to answer WhatsApp calls even when the WhatsApp is locked. In the “Automatically lock” section of Fingerprint lock settings, you’re given three choices — Immediately, After 1 minute, After 30 minutes. Immediately option means that it will immediately lock WhatsApp once you switch to any other app from WhatsApp, and therefore, when you wish to come back to the app, it will require your fingerprint to unlock WhatsApp.

Choosing the second option will delay the lock by one minute, and the third option will delay it by 30 minutes. So, if you use WhatsApp quite a lot, you may find the third option more convenient as it eliminates the need for you to scan your finger every time you open the app.

[appbox googleplay com.whatsapp&hl=en_IN]

Source: WhatsApp