Whatsapp is working on a fingerprint authentication feature to protect users’ chats from being seen by others. The authentication once enabled, will only permit authorised users.
The new whatsapp feature is being developed and currently disabled by default in the Android 2.19.3 beta version.
Once the fingerprint feature is enabled, WhatsApp will be completely protected from others.
The user needs to authenticate their identity in order to open WhatsApp. It protects the entire app, and not just a specific conversations.
This feature would be available in future for Android users having Android Marshmallow and newer operating systems, provided their phones have a fingerprint sensor.
Earlier Whatsapp had also been testing an IOS version of the app with similar security features for the for iPhones with Face ID and Touch ID.
Dates for the launch are still unclear, however several reports confirmed that whatsapp is working on this.