14 DAY TRIAL // We’ve known for a while that WhatsApp was working on several new features on both mobile and the desktop, and it looks like we’re getting closer to the release of at least some of these improvements on Android devices.
The editors over at WABetaInfo have noticed two such changes in the latest beta build of WhatsApp for Android.
The first of them is the addition of a Biometric Lock option in the settings screen of the messaging app, and by the looks of things, this replaces the previous menu that allowed users to enable the Fingerprint Lock.
If you didn’t figure out what this means, WhatsApp is planning to enable more biometric lock methods in WhatsApp in addition to the typical fingerprint lock that was already available on Android. In other words, Android users will finally be able to unlock their devices using facial recognition, approximately one year after the Facebook-owned company rolled out Face ID support in its iPhone client.
Hello, Face Unlock!
So theoretically, Android users where Face Unlock is available will be able to lock the messaging app with this method, thus making it more convenient to access their conversations.
“When enabled, you’ll need to use fingerprint, face, or other unique identifiers to open WhatsApp. You can still answer calls if WhatsApp is locked,” the new description in the settings screen reads.
The second new feature coming to Android is called “join missed calls” and is presumably supposed to make it possible for users to join a group video call even if they didn’t originally answer. In other words, if the call is still active but you missed it, you can still join it when you are ready.
More information on how everything is supposed to work, however, is projected to be released when the new feature goes live in the production build of WhatsApp for Android.