Meta What is the announcement? That it will add three new security features to WhatsApp in the coming months. New features include: Account Protect, Device authenticationAnd Automatic security codes. These features will accompany already existing security features such as two-step verification, end-to-end encrypted backup, and encrypted messaging.
with Account Protect, WhatsApp will now ask you to verify on your old device that you are trying to use the app on a new device. Meta didn’t specify what happens if you lose your old device, but presumably, it won’t stop you from setting up on a new device. The new security check is designed to provide just a little more security.
with Device authentication, Meta checks in the background to verify that it’s really you sending the messages. The main reason for adding this feature is to protect against unofficial WhatsApp clients, the company said. It states that fake WhatsApp clients can steal your verification keys to send spam. With device authentication, users will enjoy greater security without doing anything.
The last is the new addition. Automatic security codes, this feature uses something called key transparency. It automatically checks that you have a secure connection to the person you are chatting with. You’ll be able to see if chats are secure by visiting the Encryption tab in WhatsApp in the coming months.
End users don’t need to do anything to get these new features, just wait patiently as Meta rolls them out over the coming months.