WhatsApp chat lock: How to secure private chats on Android and iPhone?

It can be a cause of stress when you give your phone to the other person just to make a call only to know that some conversations are more personal than others. WhatsApp chat lock is designed to give users extra privacy by securing individual conversations instead of locking the entire app. If you are wondering how to lock WhatsApp chats, the process takes only a few taps and does not require any third-party app. The Chat Lock feature of WhatsApp was actually created in that real-life situation and allows you to conceal particular conversations behind that additional security layer rather than locking the whole application. This feature significantly improves WhatsApp chat privacy, especially for users in shared households or workplaces.

What WhatsApp chat lock actually does

WhatsApp Chat Lock enables users to drag individual chats to a specific Locked chats directory where it can be viewed only after authentication at the device system level, like PIN, fingerprint, Face ID, passcode, or a secret code, depending on the device settings. With the option to lock WhatsApp chats, users can protect sensitive conversations using fingerprint, PIN, or Face ID. In the case of a locked chat, it is no longer visible in the framework of the regular chat list, instead being taken into the folder Locked Chats, and therefore such talks cannot be seen anymore.  

Advertisements of locked chats are also elusive since they usually indicate something general like the “WhatsApp: 1 new message" rather than the message content or the name of the contact. It is a very valuable feature which works wonders on times that one wants to share her phone with her family members, friends or colleagues but needs some privacy and security regarding certain conversations. Users can also add an extra layer of protection by setting a WhatsApp secret code for locked chats. All secured conversations are moved to a WhatsApp locked chats folder, which remains hidden until authentication. This WhatsApp privacy feature is ideal for users who often share their phones but want to keep certain conversations hidden.

How chat lock works on Android

If you are wondering how to lock WhatsApp chats, the process takes only a few taps and does not require any third-party app. All secured conversations are moved to a WhatsApp locked chats folder, which remains hidden until authentication. Android users can rely on WhatsApp fingerprint lock to access their secured chats quickly and safely.

On Android devices, WhatsApp chat lock allows users to secure chats directly from the chat info screen using fingerprint or PIN. In Android, the Chat Lock is built right into the info page of each chat so only conversations of the most important are locked. With the option to lock WhatsApp chats, users can protect sensitive conversations using fingerprint, PIN, or Face ID.

To lock a chat on Android:

• Go to WhatsApp and look at the chat that you need to be secured.

• Click at the contact or group name to access the info screen.

• Click down and choose Chat Lock.

Toggle the feature (such as "Secure this chat with fingerprint"), (authenticate) using your fingerprint, PIN or passcode.

Once enabled, the conversation:

• Disappears from your main chat list.

• Enters the Locked Chats folder which opens upon authentication.

To view the locked chats in the chat list, swipe downwards on the list until you reach Locked Chats, tap it, and unlock it using your preferred security method (fingerprint, PIN, pattern, or password).

How chat lock works on iPhone

WhatsApp chat lock on iPhone works seamlessly with Face ID or Touch ID to hide conversations from the main chat list. The WhatsApp Face ID lock ensures that locked chats remain inaccessible even if someone unlocks your phone. With the option to lock WhatsApp chats, users can protect sensitive conversations using fingerprint, PIN, or Face ID.

To lock a chat on iPhone:

• Open WhatsApp and enter the chat you want to protect.

• Tap the contact or group name at the top to open the info screen.

• Find and tap Chat Lock.

• Turn on Lock This Chat with Face ID / Touch ID and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.

After this:

• The chat will be taken off your normal chat list.

• It is put in the locked chat section that can be seen when you scroll to the top of your chat section and then authenticate.

Once more, the messages in these chats will not disclose content or contact information, which makes sensitive communication subtle even in phones that are not locked down.

How to unlock or remove chat lock

To unlock or remove Chat Lock from a conversation, open WhatsApp and go to the Locked Chats section, then authenticate to reveal your locked conversations. Enter the chat you want to unlock, go back to the contact or group info page, open Chat Lock, and toggle the lock option off. Once unlocked, the chat will reappear in your regular chat list, no longer require authentication for access, and show notifications like a normal conversation based on your system settings. 

A privacy feature built for real life

WhatsApp Chat Lock is developed to choose privacy and not complete app lock. This WhatsApp privacy feature is ideal for users who often share their phones but want to keep certain conversations hidden. Rather than closing down or locking up the whole app or going to a third party application, choose:

• Only those conversations that really require an added security level should be protected.

• Be discreet with those conversations regardless of whether your phone is unlocked or not.

• You can use already known authentication methods (PIN, fingerprint, Face ID, secret code, passcode), without altering your overall experience with WhatsApp.

This feature significantly improves WhatsApp chat privacy, especially for users in shared households or workplaces. Chat Lock joins WhatsApp’s growing list of security features aimed at protecting user data and personal conversations. To every person who shares his or her phone periodically, works in a common place, or simply wishes to have a better control of who is looking at what you have to share, WhatsApp chat lock provides a simple, yet practical, inbuilt method of keeping the private communication apart, out of sight and in safe places.

Disclaimer: The information regarding the gadgets/devices listed in the table and article has been sourced from various secondary sources. For detailed product specifications, please refer to the brand sources.