WhatsApp is adding a new feature called Chat Lock that looks to put your most private conversations behind a secondary wall of security.
In a blog post, the company announced Chat Lock, a new feature “which lets you protect your most intimate conversations behind one more layer of security.” The company says that, by locking a chat, it will be taken out of your inbox and put in its own folder. Once there, it can only be accessed with your device password or biometrics like a fingerprint or Face ID.
We think this feature will be great for people who have reason to share their phones from time to time with a family member or those moments where someone else is holding your phone at the exact moment an extra special chat arrives. You can lock a chat by tapping the name of a one-to-one or group and selecting the lock option. To reveal these chats, slowly pull down on your inbox and enter your phone password or biometric.
The company released a video to show off the new feature, saying that “for your eyes only 🫣With Chat Lock you don’t have to worry about anyone reading something they’re not supposed to when you can keep your chats in a private folder, and password-protected 🔒.”
While the first rollout of Chat Lock puts conversations behind a second layer of security, it’s just the start for the company. WhatsApp says that, over the next few months, it plans to add the ability to lock chats on companion devices as well as allow users to create a custom password for chats that is different than the passcode used for your phone.
Chat Lock is rolling out now for WhatsApp on iOS and Android, so check the app for an update to see if you have the new feature.
