WhatsApp has multiple options to provide privacy and safety for its Android and iOS users. The app lets you set up a pin or even a biometric lock for the application. However, the desktop client or WhatsApp Web version doesn’t have any such option. WhatsApp is finally working on a new feature that promises the same app-level safety for users on desktops. A new report has suggested that the app is testing a password protection feature for the desktop client and WhatsApp Web. So far, the feature is not available for the Beta testers and is still under development.
The new WhatsApp feature was spotted by WABetaInfo, a website that tracks the latest features on the beta version of the application. The website also shares a screen grab of the password feature which gives us a clear idea about what to expect from it. Going by the screenshot, it’s clear that WhatsApp will use password protection for the desktop client since biometric hardware is still not widely available on desktops and laptops.
This new feature will add a much-needed layer of safety. Every time you try to access the app or desktop client, you will need to enter the password. However, the user will have total control over the feature. They will be able to turn it off completely. Additionally, WhatsApp is expected to keep the encryption files in a local drive to offer better safety.
If the user ends up losing or forgetting the password, they will have to log out of their account and setup the WhatsApp desktop client or the app again using the primary smartphone and by generating a QR Code.
WhatsApp recently introduced new features on its app’s stable version. One of the biggest additions is the rollout of the Communities feature. This has been built to take on the likes of Telegram which supports channels with thousands of participants. WhatsApp also increased the size of WhatsApp Groups to 1024 from 512. The video calling feature can also support up to 32 members after the latest update had rolled out.
