Facebook Messenger Introduces 'App Lock' Feature With Support for Face ID and Touch ID - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Facebook Messenger Introduces 'App Lock' Feature With Support for Face ID and Touch ID

by

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
79 months ago
Finally, my Facebook data is safe with me, Mark Zuckerberg, and anybody else at Facebook.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
79 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)
PsykX Avatar
79 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)
ericgtr12 Avatar
79 months ago
The fact that FB forces you to use a separate app for chat is ridiculous.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
79 months ago
That’s cool and all, but at the end of the day I don’t trust Facebook.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
79 months ago
This should really be available system wide, controlled via Settings app. Useful when sharing your phone with children or any stranger/acquaintance. Face ID/Touch ID is fast enough to offset this being annoying.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:39 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the operating system will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps, along with customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial recognition,...
Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra: Pre-Orders and Release Date

Thursday July 30, 2026 6:12 am PDT by
Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. Labor Day is September 7 this year. The last time the holiday fell on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the last time Labor Day was on September 7 in a normal year was in ...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Twelve Changes Coming to Apple's Next Flagship

Thursday July 30, 2026 3:43 am PDT by
We're less than two months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a dramatic change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year,...

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors