Whatsapp introduced the ability to use Face ID authentication on iPhone X and newer models some time back. You can secure your WhatsApp chats using Face ID or Touch ID (based on the model of the phone).

You can either permanently disable any kind of authentication requirement to open WhatsApp, or you can disable just Face ID so that your iPhone’s password will be required whenever you open WhatsApp.

Completely Disable WhatsApp Lock

To disable all forms of authentication for WhatsApp, open the app, and go to ‘Settings’ from the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.

Then open ‘Account’ settings.

Tap on ‘Privacy’.

Then, tap on ‘Screen Lock’ at the bottom of the screen.

Turn off the toggle for ‘Require Face ID’. It will disable all authentication requirements for opening WhatsApp.

Turn off the Toggle for Face ID to disable it. This will disable all authentication requirement for WhatsApp.

Disable Only Face ID for WhatsApp

If you want to disable just the Face ID for WhatsApp while keeping password authentication on, you can do that as well. In the event of Face ID authentication failing, WhatsApp requires the iPhone passcode to open. The same principle applies here. Turning off Face ID for WhatsApp will prompt iPhone Passcode for opening WhatsApp.

Open your iPhone ‘Settings’. Scroll down a bit and open ‘Face ID & Passcode’.

Enter your phone’s passcode to open ‘Face ID & Passcode’ settings. Once you’re through, tap on ‘Other Apps’ option.

It will show all apps using Face ID authentication on your iPhone. Turn off the toggle for WhatsApp.

Disable Face ID access for WhatsApp.

Now when you open WhatsApp, instead of your Face ID, it will ask for your iPhone’s Passcode.

Note: This would require the Face ID enabled from within WhatsApp, which we disabled in the previous section. To enable Face ID for Whatsapp, open WhatsApp messenger, and go to the Settings. Then go to Account » Privacy » Screen Lock. And make sure the toggle for ‘Require Face ID’ is on.

Conclusion

Face ID authentication for Whatsapp can be disabled. You can either turn it off entirely by disabling Face ID from within WhatsApp settings, or you can disable Face ID for WhatsApp so that it still requires Passcode authentication to open WhatsApp.