WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging platform, has announced the upcoming introduction of a new feature called ‘Chat Lock.’ Users worldwide will soon have the ability to secure their private conversations within the application using password protection or biometric authentication such as facial recognition or fingerprint scanning.
In a recent blog post, the company, which is owned by Meta, revealed that the ‘Chat Lock’ feature aims to provide an additional layer of security for safeguarding intimate discussions. This development was first hinted at in early April and is anticipated to be well-received by WhatsApp’s user base, which spans over 180 countries and exceeds two billion individuals.
By locking a chat, the respective conversation is discreetly moved out of the main inbox and stored in a dedicated folder, accessible exclusively through the user’s device password or biometric verification. Moreover, the content of locked chats remains hidden within notifications, enhancing privacy further, especially for those who occasionally share or lend their phones to others.
WhatsApp has plans to expand the capabilities of Chat Lock in the coming months. These future enhancements will include features such as the ability to lock chats on companion devices and the option to create custom passwords specifically for conversations, enabling users to employ unique passwords distinct from their device unlock code.
Chat Lock represents one of four new features being introduced by WhatsApp, the Meta-owned messaging application. Before this development, users were only able to lock or unlock the entire application using biometric authentication, but individual chat threads lacked this functionality. With Chat Lock, WhatsApp aims to provide users with more control over their privacy by allowing them to secure specific messages and conversations discreetly.
To utilize the Chat Lock feature, users can simply tap on the name of a person or group conversation and select the lock option. Accessing locked chats can be done by swiping down the inbox screen and providing the password or verifying their biometrics. With these new enhancements, WhatsApp continues to prioritize user privacy and security within its platform.