WhatsApp rolls out new security feature 'Account Protect', more: Details

Meta-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp announced the roll-out of a number of privacy and safety features. Together the features form a layer of protection that gives users privacy and control over their conversations while messaging. These features are being rolled out in a phased manner and will be available to everyone in the coming months. Here is the list of security features:

Account Protect:

This feature will enhance the security of the user's account while transferring it to the new device. It will send a prompt on the user's old device asking them to verify that they want to move their account to another device. It will also alert the users to an unauthorised attempt of moving their account to another device.

Device Verification:

With the roll-out of 'Device Verification' feature, WhatsApp aims to protect users from malware that can take advantage of their phone without permission and use their account to send unwanted messages. With no user action needed, the company has added checks to help authenticate their account and protect them if the device is compromised.

Automatic Security Codes:

For an added layer of security, WhatsApp is rolling out a security feature to verify a user's secure connection, based on a process called 'Key Transparency'. Earlier, users can check this manually by going to the encryption tab under a contact’s info, to ensure they are chatting with the intended recipient. The new feature allows users to automatically verify that they have a secure connection. It means that when users click on the encryption tab, they’ll be able to verify right away that their personal conversation is secured.