WhatsApp is working on an update which may soon ask users to enter a six-digit passcode before logging in the account, reported Android Authority.
The report also suggests that the use of recovery email id could be optional. Android Authority spotted the company’s plan during a text translation program, from English to Dutch. Phrases like “Enter the current six-digit passcode.”, “Passcode don’t match. Try again.” and “Enter a recovery email address”, were spotted from the program.
The move could prove to be useful at time when users forget to lock themselves out of their accounts while using the messaging app’s web service, which has caused misuse of users’ account.
In August, a UAE-based non-profit online safety organisation, Emirates Safer Internet Society (E-SAFE) team found that about 77 of the app users never log out of the WhatsApp-Web, an option that allows users to chat and access on their PC’s.
“Once an intruder is in contact with a phone, he can access all content on WhatsApp by scanning the phone’s QR code on a computer through the online WhatsApp site. After the QR code is scanned, the intruder can send messages to all contacts and delete messages from contacts on the app,” said Al Hashemi from E-SAFE.
Moreover, the survey found that about 88 per cent of WhatsApp allows their family members to access their phone unattended, while around 22 per cent said they allow their friends to go through their phones.
The team also reached out to WhatsApp Inc suggesting them to introduce a safety notification feature that informs users whenever their WhatsApp account is accessed from any web service.
WhatsApp has not given any official statement regarding the update.
