Face and fingerprint unlock are on the way for WhatsApp web and desktop

WhatsApp logo (Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central)

What you need to know

WhatsApp is rolling out support for fingerprint and face unlock for WhatsApp web and desktop.
The feature will work with both iOS and Android.
WhatsApp does not have access to biometrics stored on your device.

WhatsApp is rolling out face and fingerprint unlock for its web and desktop clients. The feature helps improve the security of WhatsApp when syncing it to the web or a computer. The new security feature works with both iOS and Android.

It's important to note that WhatsApp does not gain access to biometrics stored on your device. Authentication is handled by the operating system of devices, and any face or fingerprint data is not available to WhatsApp. This is how authentication works in general, but it's important to emphasis this as some have wrongly accused WhatsApp of wanting people's biometrics.

WhatsApp also emphasizes this in its FAQ page about the new security feature:

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Note: The authentication is handled by your device's operating system using the biometrics stored there. WhatsApp can't access the biometric information stored by your device's operating system.

That same FAQ page also walks through the steps of setting up WhatsApp web or desktop with your iOS or Android device.

The move comes after scrutiny regarding WhatsApp's policies surrounding data. That sage left many people looking for the best WhatsApp alternatives and asking how to delete a WhatsApp account.

WhatsApp web and desktop are still popular ways to communicate from a Windows 10 PC. They allow you to sync WhatsApp from your phone and send messages from your computer, though your phone has to be on and connected to the web to work. Since they bring WhatsApp to your PC, it's much easier to type longer messages and to share media.

Sean Endicott is a News Writer at Windows Central, where he covers Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps, and the broader PC ecosystem. Since joining the site in 2017, he has written well over a thousand articles across the Microsoft landscape, covering breaking news, analysis, and feature reporting.

He writes Windows Wrap, a weekly column covering the biggest stories in Windows and the PC industry, and what they mean for the platform going forward.

Before joining Windows Central full-time, Sean worked in journalism and media production after earning a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. Outside of tech, he is an award-winning American football coach based in Nottingham, England, and was named BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year in 2024.