Ensuring user security has been the name of the game for quite some time now as far as social media and messaging platforms are concerned. It turns out that WhatsApp is the latest platform to throw its hat into the ring, with the world’s most successful messaging app set to introduce passkeys in an upcoming update that will add more security and privacy than might have been the case otherwise.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that WhatsApp has joined the ranks of LinkedIn, X and TikTok, all of whom have introduced passkeys and phrases as of late. Google might cut passwords out of the equation entirely in favor of passkeys because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up levelling up user security on all fronts.
Photo: AI-generated via DIW
WhatsApp’s emphasis on privacy has been a core component of its success, especially considering it is owned by a company that many users don’t trust with all things having been considered and taken into account. In spite of the fact that this is the case, WhatsApp has managed to set itself apart among Meta’s many offerings, and it bears mentioning that this isn’t the only upcoming update that users can look forward to.
Based on the app’s recent submissions to its TestFlight Beta Program, the messaging and social media app will be rolling out a brand new audio and video menu as well. This will enable users to sent video messages to each other, but users can also disable video messages if they so choose. The upcoming update is a byproduct of user complaints, with many stating that video messages don’t work the way that they expect.
As a result, users can now switch between modes. One mode will offer video messages, with the other offering audio messages instead. This will broaden the user experience and give them more control over the features they want access to, and there is one final update that is coming up which might change the way we utilize WhatsApp these days.
This update that we are referring to has to do with the process of searching through your countless messages. A new feature under development would make it so that you can search through messages by date, and there’s a new sidebar that will facilitate this search in the long run. What’s more, WhatsApp will incorporate a group chat filter into the equation as well, which will surely reduce the number of messages that users are forced to delete every single day.
The user interface will show a calendar and users can simply select the dates that they want to see messages from. Simplifying the search feature in this manner will surely bring a lot of value to the table, and it will be interesting to see what user adoption rates look like when this update finally receives a wider rollout.
However, it is currently under development, so there’s no way to tell when users might gain access to it. The good news is that the passkey feature is already available for those that use the latest version of WhatsApp, and the audio-video mode switchover features will hit user devices quite soon. This will give WhatsApp an edge over the competition.
Features like these are essential for keeping WhatsApp competitive, and they also point to larger trends in the industry. The passkey update in particular will be a unique case study for how this feature can impact user privacy and security in a real world scenario.
Read next: Survey Reveals AI Apps Gaining Traction in Mac Ecosystem
Android users can easily and securely log back in with passkeys 🔑 only your face, finger print, or pin unlocks your WhatsApp account pic.twitter.com/In3OaWKqhy
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) October 16, 2023
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that WhatsApp has joined the ranks of LinkedIn, X and TikTok, all of whom have introduced passkeys and phrases as of late. Google might cut passwords out of the equation entirely in favor of passkeys because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up levelling up user security on all fronts.
WhatsApp’s emphasis on privacy has been a core component of its success, especially considering it is owned by a company that many users don’t trust with all things having been considered and taken into account. In spite of the fact that this is the case, WhatsApp has managed to set itself apart among Meta’s many offerings, and it bears mentioning that this isn’t the only upcoming update that users can look forward to.
Based on the app’s recent submissions to its TestFlight Beta Program, the messaging and social media app will be rolling out a brand new audio and video menu as well. This will enable users to sent video messages to each other, but users can also disable video messages if they so choose. The upcoming update is a byproduct of user complaints, with many stating that video messages don’t work the way that they expect.
As a result, users can now switch between modes. One mode will offer video messages, with the other offering audio messages instead. This will broaden the user experience and give them more control over the features they want access to, and there is one final update that is coming up which might change the way we utilize WhatsApp these days.
This update that we are referring to has to do with the process of searching through your countless messages. A new feature under development would make it so that you can search through messages by date, and there’s a new sidebar that will facilitate this search in the long run. What’s more, WhatsApp will incorporate a group chat filter into the equation as well, which will surely reduce the number of messages that users are forced to delete every single day.
The user interface will show a calendar and users can simply select the dates that they want to see messages from. Simplifying the search feature in this manner will surely bring a lot of value to the table, and it will be interesting to see what user adoption rates look like when this update finally receives a wider rollout.
However, it is currently under development, so there’s no way to tell when users might gain access to it. The good news is that the passkey feature is already available for those that use the latest version of WhatsApp, and the audio-video mode switchover features will hit user devices quite soon. This will give WhatsApp an edge over the competition.
Features like these are essential for keeping WhatsApp competitive, and they also point to larger trends in the industry. The passkey update in particular will be a unique case study for how this feature can impact user privacy and security in a real world scenario.
Read next: Survey Reveals AI Apps Gaining Traction in Mac Ecosystem
