WhatsApp is working on implementing a new security layer with a passkey. See full details

If you use WhatsApp, you may protect your account in a variety of ways, including using a regular password and two-factor verification. And, as WhatsApp works to introduce passkey functionality, users will soon have another option to encrypt their accounts.

WhatsApp will soon support passkeys.

Many apps and websites have already announced passkey compatibility, and WhatsApp may be the next. While Meta is yet to make an announcement, WABetaInfo has discovered a hidden passkey setup option in the most recent beta version of WhatsApp for Android. "You can now use your fingerprint, face, or screen lock to verify if it's you with a passkey," reads a message.

Unfortunately, the functionality appears to be in development with no means to enable it, but this is a strong indication that WhatsApp users may soon be able to safeguard their accounts with a passkey rather than a regular password.

For those who are unfamiliar, passkey is a collaborative industry effort to develop a better secure authentication method. Instead of standard passwords, users can now sign in using face recognition or biometrics, eliminating the need to establish and enter a typical passcode. The technology was created by the FIDO Alliance in collaboration with Apple, Google, and Microsoft.

Apple stated in June that Apple ID accounts on iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma would be automatically assigned a passkey. This implies that instead of entering a password, users will be able to authenticate to Apple.com, iCloud.com, and other Apple-related websites using their passkey as a credential.

Users can create and store passkeys using Safari and iCloud Keychain from iOS 16. This same experience will now be available for third-party apps with iOS 17. TikTok and the popular password manager 1Password have recently introduced support for passkeys.

There is no news on when the WhatsApp upgrade will be accessible to users.