whatsappWhatsApp has enabled a new Face ID authentication option for iPhones that support the feature, in the latest update to the messenger app (via WABetaInfo).

The Facebook-owned platform has been testing the feature for iPhone X and newer devices in its TestFlight beta releases for some weeks now, but version 2.19.20 of WhatsApp, now on the App Store, makes ‌Face ID‌ available for all users with supporting iPhones.

When enabled, users need to use ‌Face ID‌ to unlock the WhatsApp app, but they can still reply to messages from notifications and answer calls when the app is locked.

To require ‌Face ID‌ to unlock WhatsApp, tap Settings -> Account -> Privacy -> Screen Lock and toggle on the Require Face ID switch. Users with a fingerprint sensing Home button on their iPhones will see an option to Require Touch ID instead.

whatsapp face id
With the ‌Face ID‌/Touch ID toggle enabled, users will see some additional options appear below that allow them to activate the authentication requirement immediately, after one minute, after 15 minutes, or after one hour.

When the app is locked, if the ‌iPhone‌ fails to recognize a face or fingerprint, users can alternatively choose to enter their ‌iPhone‌ Passcode to open WhatsApp.

Elsewhere in this update, a smaller change means users can now download individual stickers in a sticker pack from the in-app sticker store, rather than having to download the whole pack. Just select a stickers pack, tap and hold the desired sticker, then tap Add to Favorites in the pop-up pane.

WhatsApp is a free download for ‌iPhone‌ available on the iOS ‌App Store‌. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

alexe Avatar
81 months ago
I don‘t understand why Apple won‘t finally allow to password-lock any app (without the Screentime workaround).
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macfacts Avatar
81 months ago
I don‘t understand why Apple won‘t finally allow to password-lock any app (without the Screentime workaround).
Yes this should be built in to the OS, not each individual app.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HacKage Avatar
81 months ago
Now it's time for Discord and other messaging apps (does Telegram have it?) to implement this.

But I agree that implementing it system wide on iOS would be a better idea.

However, having the phone locked with Face ID or Touch ID, how can be useful to lock apps individually?
Because if somebody wanted to use your phone to control Spotify or look something up, then you can hand them your phone and still feel secure. It would also help in cases of law enforcement forcing somebody to look at their recently detained phone to unlock it, for some apps to then have another level of security.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AnthonyG6 Avatar
81 months ago
This is nice and all but they should start the privacy improvements by not showing the sender name on the notification until unlocked. I think it is a serious privacy problem if anyone touching your phone screen can see who has send you a message.
This is already the case if you have a FaceID device. I have the iPhone X and when I get a Whatsapp message it only shows as a 'Whatsapp Notification', then when I look at the phone and it recognises me, it shows who the sender is. This is one of the best features of FaceID in my opinion.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Vasilioskn Avatar
81 months ago
Doesn’t Facebook own WhatsApp? Pass.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
81 months ago
I said it because of this part of your message, but maybe I didn't quite understand it.
The Key to decrypt data, like all things you send, this does not include your fingerprint nor your face data, that is in the secure enclave and is inaccessible for Apps, they just get a "yes or no" for authentication from the secure enclave.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...