WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform owned by Meta, has unveiled a new feature called Chat Lock, aimed at providing users with greater control over safeguarding their private conversations.
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, made the announcement via his Instagram broadcast channel on Monday.
WhatsApp users can move specific chats out of their inbox and into a password-protected folder via the Chat Lock feature, ensuring that the conversations remain hidden and inaccessible to unauthorised individuals.
When a new message is received in the locked chat, the sender’s name and message content will be concealed, offering an additional layer of privacy.
“We believe this feature will be great for people who share their phones from time to time with a family member, or in moments where someone else is holding your phone at the exact moment an extra-special chat arrives,” stated a blog post from Meta.
Locking chats on WhatsApp
To lock a chat on WhatsApp, users need to follow a simple process. First, they should open WhatsApp and select the name of the person or group chat they wish to lock.
Then, they should choose the “Chat Lock” option, which can typically be found under the “Disappearing Messages” section.
Finally, a passcode or fingerprint can be selected to lock the conversation, moving it into a separate folder called “Locked Chats.”
Accessing locked WhatsApp chats
Accessing locked chats is also straightforward. Users can slowly pull down on the chats inbox to reveal the “Locked Chats” folder.
To unlock the chats, they must enter the designated passcode or use their registered fingerprint. Once unlocked, the locked chats will appear like any other conversation.
WhatsApp has indicated that it plans to introduce additional features and enhancements to Chat Lock in the coming months, offering users even more options for securing their private conversations.
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