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WhatsApp now lets you LOCK individual chats to prevent nosy people from snooping into your private messages – here’s how you can try it yourself
- WhatsApp has launched a new feature called Chat Lock tday
- Locked messages are kept in a separate folder and the sender’s name is hidden
Whether it’s while planning a surprise for your partner or organizing a secret job interview, there are often times when you want to keep certain messages private.
Well, now you can make sure your chats are safe from prying eyes, thanks to a new feature of WhatsApp.
Meta’s app has launched a feature called Chat Lock that lets you password protect your most private conversations.
Locked messages are secured in a separate folder and the sender’s name is hidden – even from others with access to your phone.
“It’s our passion to find new ways to keep your messages private and secure,” WhatsApp said in a blog post.
WhatsApp has launched a feature called Chat Lock that allows you to password protect your most private conversations
To lock a chat, open the WhatsApp app and tap the name of a one-on-one or group chat.
You will now see a lock option, which will ask you to enter your device password or biometrics to secure that chat.
“Locking a chat will take that thread out of the inbox and put it behind its own folder that can only be accessed with your device’s password or biometric, such as a fingerprint,” WhatsApp explains in the blog post.
“It also automatically hides that chat’s content from notifications.”
To reveal your locked chats, simply go to your WhatsApp inbox and enter your phone password or biometric password.
WhatsApp claims that Chat Lock will be useful in a number of different settings.
“This feature is great for people who have reason to share their phone with a family member from time to time or for those times when someone else is holding your phone the moment an extra special chat comes in,” it explains.
Chat Lock is rolling out starting today, with further options “over the next few months,” according to the blog post.
“This feature is great for people who have reason to share their phone with a family member from time to time or for those times when someone else is holding your phone when an extra special chat comes in,” explains WhatsApp (stock image)
“We’re going to add more options for Chat Lock, including locking for associated devices, creating a custom password for your chats so you can use a unique password that’s different from your phone,” it concluded.
The news comes shortly after WhatsApp announced that users can now get their account on up to four additional phones, or five in total.
WhatsApp users can link these four additional “companion” smartphones by scanning QR codes with their primary phone.
Users have already been able to connect up to four PCs or tablets to one WhatsApp account, but no additional phones so far.
The ‘requested’ feature caters to those who have a phone for work and a phone for personal use, but still want all their chats under one WhatsApp account – although some said mistrustful couples will try to log into the account of their partner.