WhatsApp for iPhone updates brings fix for touch id face ID and screen lock bypass bug

WhatsApp has started rolling out an update for its iPhone app version which is a fix for the recently discovered bug which allowed an individual to bypass the Touch ID or Face ID screen lock. The version update is numbered 2.19.22 and the new update for WhatsApp is now live on the Apple App Store. We would recommend users to download the update fix as soon as possible on their iPhones. WhatsApp has not shared any updated changelog for the new update in the App Store. So it is not clear if the update brings any more changes to features, bug fixes or improvements.

The problem had surfaced last week after a user on Reddit discovered that the biometric authentication which is Touch ID and Face ID in WhatsApp had a bug which allowed anyone accesses to WhatsApp without going through Touch ID or Face ID. WhatsApp seems to have acknowledged the problem and hence the new update fix is now live on the App Store.

WhatsApp had put in biometric authentication to the iPhone app in early February. The new update allowed users to lock and unlock their WhatsApp application using Face ID or Touch ID, depending on whichever is available on the phone. However, the discovering of that bug had made the authentication practically unusable. If you remember, the WhatsApp bug worked only when the user had selected the biometric authentication kick-in time to anything except immediately.


Other options included After 1 minute, After 15 minute, and After One Hour. The bug also gets activated when a user tried to use the WhatsApp share option in the iPhone share list. There was no asking for authentication and WhatsApp is just letting the person share what they wanted. Also, if the user went straight to the home screen from the iOS share list, they were able to open WhatsApp without any interference from Touch ID and Face ID.