WhatsApp has announced that it is putting even more security into WhatsApp Web and desktop. The company is adding an additional layer of protection when users want to link their WhatsApp account to your computer.
To increase security, Facebook-owned company will use face or fingerprint unlock from the mobile phone operating system. In the coming weeks, users need to verify their face or fingerprint before scanning the barcode from the WhatsApp Web or Desktop.
According to the company, "This will limit the chance that a housemate or officemate (when we have those again) can link devices to your WhatsApp account without you. This builds on our existing security measures today, which pop up a notice in your phone whenever a Web/Desktop login occurs, and the ability to unlink devices from your phone at any time."
The company clarifies that the face and fingerprint authentication takes place on your device in a privacy-preserving manner - by design, WhatsApp cannot access the biometric information stored by your device's operating system.
WhatsApp has also said that the new update will also get a visual redesign to the WhatsApp Web page on phones, to users with compatible devices alongside the new security update for linking devices. The new security update is coming to the devices in the coming weeks.