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WhatsApp Is Rolling Out a Fix for the Android Lock Screen Photo Leak Bug
Do you remember this security issue: a single incoming WhatsApp video call could give access to the photo gallery of an Android smartphone, even while it was locked? I think you do, because I covered it earlier this week. WhatsApp has now responded: a fix is currently being rolled out. Here’s what you need to know.
On September 2, 2026, I published an article about this technique discovered by researcher Jose Rodriguez. As a reminder, the process is simple and affects several Android versions: answer a WhatsApp video call from the lock screen, open the effects panel to change the background, go through the "Create with Meta AI" button, then choose "Edit a photo". The media picker then opens and provides direct access to the entire gallery, all without a PIN or biometrics. No malware, just a shortcut through the app’s menus.
When I wrote that earlier article, no fix existed. That has now changed. On September 3, WhatsApp replied to the researcher on X: "We have started rolling out a fix for this issue, which is limited to a rare case where someone has physical access to a user's device.", the WhatsApp team said.
A rare case, not so much? A phone left on a meeting table, a lost device, a slightly too-curious partner... In short, physical access is possible for the people around us in everyday life. This security issue is not remotely exploitable, that is true. But it makes the lock screen useless when it comes to accessing photos.
The post on X forced WhatsApp to react
Researcher Jose Rodriguez contacted the website CyberInsider directly to provide more details about how the issue was handled when it was reported to Meta and Google. Before posting on X, the researcher filed a proper report through Meta’s bug bounty program and through Google’s Vulnerability Reward Program. These are the official channels used to report a vulnerability.
But according to him, he received only an acknowledgment from Meta and automated replies from Google. Nothing on the substance. What helped move things forward, and we now have proof of that, was his post on X. The good news now is that a WhatsApp fix is on the way. Google, for its part, did not answer the researcher’s original question: should Android itself prevent an app from opening the media picker from a locked device?
From now on, you’ll need to keep an eye on WhatsApp updates on Android over the next few days.
