Facebook today announced enhanced privacy and security features for Messenger on iOS, including a new "App Lock" feature. With this enabled, Facebook Messenger will require Face ID or Touch ID authentication before it is opened.

NRP Messenger Introduces App Lock Privacy Settings banner FINAL
The company hopes that this will let users feel more comfortable when letting someone else borrow their phone, preventing anyone else from viewing private Messenger chats. Facebook said that the user's fingerprint or face data is "not transmitted to or stored by Facebook."

To enable App Lock, Messenger users can head to the new "Privacy" section in settings. In addition to App Lock, the company is planning to launch more privacy controls over the coming months.

App Lock launches today on iPhone and iPad, and will roll out to Android in the next few months.

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
35 months ago
Finally, my Facebook data is safe with me, Mark Zuckerberg, and anybody else at Facebook.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PsykX Avatar
35 months ago

The fact that FB forces you to use a separate app for chat is ridiculous.
Forcing us to have the whole Facebook app just for chat WOULD be ridiculous.
I remember how bloated it was back in the days.

With just the Messenger app, I can uninstall the Facebook app and save time I would have wasted in their app otherwise. And the more you look at the news feed, even if you don't interact, the more data they collect about you.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
slineaudi Avatar
35 months ago
Why doesn't apple just include a "require authentication before opening" switch for individual applications with the other privacy options like location, camera, etc. That way you could protect any apps without waiting for the app dev to build something in.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ericgtr12 Avatar
35 months ago
The fact that FB forces you to use a separate app for chat is ridiculous.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HappyDude20 Avatar
35 months ago
That’s cool and all, but at the end of the day I don’t trust Facebook.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
matt3526 Avatar
35 months ago

Facebook said that the user's fingerprint or face data is "not transmitted to or stored by Facebook."
Only because apple goes to great lengths to prevent it. Otherwise Facebook would store and sell it to everyone.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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