WhatsApp’s “Chat Lock” feature provides a reliable means to segregate your private conversations from those you’re comfortable having in the open. While you might not mind someone perusing your innocuous chats with grandparents, there are undoubtedly discussions you’d prefer to keep confidential. (Thankfully, end-to-end encryption is in place.)
However, relying solely on Chat Lock has its drawbacks. When a chat is locked, WhatsApp places it within a folder conspicuously named “Locked Chats.” This overt categorization might be the first place a potential intruder checks for sensitive, embarrassing, or private conversations upon gaining access to your app.
To enhance the security of Chat Lock, WhatsApp is introducing a new feature called the “secret code,” designed to keep your locked chats discreet. With this feature, you can assign a secret code to your Locked Chats folder, causing these chats to vanish from your main screen. The sole method to locate these conversations is by searching for the specific secret code.
Here’s how to employ the secret code to conceal your Locked Chats in WhatsApp:
WhatsApp initiated the rollout of this new feature on Thursday, November 30, with a gradual expansion over the subsequent weeks. While the exact setup process isn’t clear yet, it’s likely that the option will appear within the Locked Chats folder. Presently, only your chats are visible in this folder.
Once the option to set up a secret code is available, users can customize the code to their preference, including the use of emojis. Mark Zuckerberg demonstrated “Zuck🤫1130!” as an example code in his announcement on his WhatsApp channel.
Upon configuration, the Locked Chats will disappear, and users can locate the folder and their private conversations by searching for the secret code in the Chats search bar.
WhatsApp has not provided details on what happens if users forget their secret code. The prompt suggests making it memorable, but the existence of an option to reset or undo these changes remains uncertain. Since it’s not a conventional password but a searchable phrase, it may be easier to guess within the search bar than a password would be.
For those who find this feature too extensive and prefer a more straightforward approach to lock a chat, WhatsApp now offers the convenience of long-pressing on any thread and selecting “Lock Chat” without navigating through a chat’s settings menu.