A forthcoming WhatsApp update is set to enhance user privacy by introducing the option to hide locked chats. WhatsApp introduced the ‘Chat Lock’ feature earlier this year, allowing users to safeguard their sensitive conversations with a password and store them in a separate folder. However, notifications from these locked chats could still be visible at inconvenient times. The new feature, currently in testing according to WABetaInfo, will enable users to entirely hide these chats from prying eyes. The chats will only be accessible through a secret code entered into the search bar, enhancing privacy. This update aims to make it less conspicuous to onlookers that a user has locked chats, increasing privacy and security.
The process to hide locked chats is expected to be straightforward, as is typical with WhatsApp updates. Users will likely have the option to toggle ‘hide locked chats’ and set up a secret access code, although what happens if a user forgets the code remains uncertain.
WhatsApp owner Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the ‘Chat Lock’ feature in May, emphasising enhanced privacy and discreet conversations. This feature is designed to benefit individuals who occasionally share their phones or have others handling their devices when private messages arrive.
This development is the second privacy enhancement to surface recently, following the beta testing of ‘listen once’ voice notes. Additionally, WhatsApp has introduced the capability to log into two separate accounts on a single device, catering to both work and personal use. This functionality has generated online buzz as it provides a discreet way to manage multiple accounts without the need for a secondary phone.
To enable Chat Lock, users can go to the chat info for each specific chat they wish to secure and set up device authentication, such as a passcode, fingerprint, or facial recognition. Turning off chat lock is as straightforward as accessing the chat info for the locked chat and disabling the chat lock option.”
