WhatsApp users on iOS are getting a new update for their devices, which will fix the Face ID/Touch ID screen lock bypass bug reported this week. iPhone users, on Friday should head over to the Apple app store and look for update version 2.19.22 for WhatsApp, which is likely to fix the issue.
The issue was first discovered by a user, who posted about it on Reddit. It was allowing people to access a user’s WhatsApp account without needing to unlock the device via Touch or Face ID.
WhatsApp quickly noticed this concern and has managed to offer a fix for the bug in a few days itself. A report from Gadgets 360 states it was able to update the app and confirm that the bug has been removed with the latest app update.
iPhone users have been able to use Touch ID or the Face ID technology to secure the popular messaging app on the device since early February this year.
This feature was first made available in alpha stage and was first highlighted by WABetainfo in 2018. It was interesting to see that the biometric unlock feature for WhatsApp was first made available for iPhone and not Android phones.
This probably has to do with the enhanced security nature of the Face ID, something that Apple’s counterparts in the Android space haven’t been able to vouch for.
WhatsApp had earlier said in the report that it will have no access and won’t be storing the biometric data on its server. The touch/face ID will be accessible from the privacy settings section on iPhones.
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