WhatsApp is reportedly working on an update that could prevent users from snapping screenshots of their conversations.
The world's most popular messaging app, used by over a billion people every day, is regularly updated, meaning that new features are constantly being added.
According to WABetaInfo, which trawls beta versions of the app for clues about forthcoming features, WhatsApp is currently testing a new fingerprint security feature.
The feature will allow users to enable fingerprint authentication within WhatsApp, meaning users will have to scan their fingerprint to access their chats.
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"The app will be completely protected, so the user will need to authenticate his identity in order to open WhatsApp," WABetaInfo explained in January .
"It will protect the entire app, so it’s not used to lock specific conversations."
However, it now appears that enabling fingerprint authentication will also result in conversation screenshots being blocked.
WABetaInfo shared a screenshot from the beta version of the app, showing the message that appears in WhatsApp when fingerprint security is switched on.
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"When enabled, fingerprint is required to open WhatsApp and conversation screenshots are blocked," the message states.
"You can still reply to messages from notifications and answer calls in WhatsApp is locked."
This aspect of the new feature has not gone down well with users.
"We do not know why WhatsApp decided to prevent screenshots when fingerprint is enabled, and personally I don't know if users like the idea," WABetaInfo wrote in a blog post .
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"I don't get it. What's the point? How's this useful?" one user responded.
"You've authenticated fingerprint security, that means your chat is secured. Why blocking screenshot, after all it's your own chat, it's your own WhatsApp, you should able to do what you want."
The fingerprint authentication feature is still in the "alpha stage of development", but will be available in future versions of WhatsApp for Android.
Whether or not the block on conversation screenshots makes it through to the final version remains to be seen, but you'll always have to option to disable fingerprint security and re-enable screenshots.
This is not the only update that WhatsApp is planning to roll out in the coming months.
Last week it emerged that the company is working on animated stickers , which will be included in WhatsApp sticker packs, alongside static options.
WhatsApp is also changing the emojis within Doodle UI to make them more consistent with the rest of the WhatsApp experience.
