WhatsApp Rolls Out ‘Chat Lock’ Feature To Guard Private Conversations

Meta-owned WhatsApp has launched ‘Chat Lock’ feature which will allow users to lock the conversations in their inbox.

Locking the chat will take the conversation and related thread out of inbox and put it behind its own folder that can only be accessed with a device’s password or biometric. It also automatically hides the contents of that chat in notifications.

WhatsApp users can lock a chat by tapping the name of a one-to-one or group and selecting the lock option. To access these chats again, users can slowly pull down on the inbox and enter password or biometric.

While WhatsApp already has end-to-end encryption for its messages, the person who already has unlocked a phone can potentially see the message. Chat Lock can add extra layer of protection for users in this scenario, especially for those users who tend to share their unlocked phone with other people.

The Chat Lock feature is similar to Apple’s hidden photos feature for iCloud.

“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,” Meta said in its release.

Rolled out globally, Chat Lock will come with more options over the next few months, including locks for companion devices and creating a custom password for chats which will enable a user to use a unique password different from their phone’s.