With privacy is at the heart of Messenger, Facebook has now announced App Lock and new privacy and security features that give its users more control to be with the people who matter the most via a message, video chat, call or a Messenger Room. The feature is available on iPhone and iPad and will come to Android in the next few months.
According to Facebook, App Lock enables the users to add another layer of security to their private messages and helps prevent other people from accessing them. This optional feature gives them the confidence to know that if a friend or family member needs to borrow their phone, they won’t be able to access the chats.
Moreover, Facebook’s App Lock uses the device’s privacy settings like fingerprint or face authentication to unlock the Messenger app, and the touch or face ID is not transmitted to or stored by Facebook.
Facebook users can find this feature in the new Privacy settings section. The Privacy section makes it easy to access settings and features like the audience for their stories, muted stories and blocked people. “App Lock and the Privacy section let you tailor your experience and choose settings that work best for you. We’re always working to give you more control over your privacy, so as we introduce more privacy features, you’ll have this centralized place to find them,” said Jay Sullivan, Director of Product Management, Messenger Privacy and Safety.
“People tell us that they want more controls over their inbox and calls. That’s why we’re working on new controls so you can decide who can message or call you directly, who goes to your requests folder, and who can’t message or call you at all. This will be similar to the message controls on Instagram, and we’ll share more details when we start testing these controls,” added Sullivan.
Facebook is also exploring more ways to protect the privacy and safety when someone they don’t know sends them a message. The Mark Zuckerberg-owned social media giant will also be testing a feature similar to what exists on Instagram and WhatsApp that blurs images in your message requests folder. This way, the Facebook users have the choice to view an image from someone they may not know before replying to the message or blocking or reporting the account.
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