Following the leads of big tech, Meta is setting passkeys support to it’s most popular instant messenger, WhatsApp, to it’s latest Android app version.
WaBetaInfo noted the ability of passkeys on WhatsApp Android beta v2.23.20.4, letting users access their chats through biometric authentication. This is one of WhatsApp’s many verification methods to authenticate a user.
Authentication Through Biometric Means
Since WhatsApp is mainly used for personal communications, securing them is paramount. Aside from end-to-end encrypting chats, WhatsApp has several authentication methods to verify identity and lets only authorised users access their discussions.
On top of that, WhatsApp is testing yet another verification means – passkeys, for it’s latest Android beta. As noted by WaBetaInfo, WhatsApp for Android beta v2.23.20.4 supports passkeys authentication that allows users to access chats using a pre-set biometric form. This could be either a PIN, password, facial or fingerprint scan, as set to your device.
This feature is available only for a limited number of beta testers and may roll out to more users soon. If you’ve enrolled on the WhatsApp Android beta program and have been running the said version, check if you have the passkeys support by going to your WhatsApp Settings > Account, where you should see a new entry point to set your passkey.
Initiating a passkey setup will create two keys – public and private. The former is the one you should remember to access WhatsApp and the latter is stored on the device to authenticate when needed. Since it’s more secure than other verification means, many companies have adopted passkeys to their offerings, like Microsoft, TikTok, PayPal, Google and Apple.
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