Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has rolled out a new feature known as “Chat Lock”, to enable users to hide sensitive conversations.
The tool allows users to lock any conversations by placing them in a folder that is only accessible via biometrics like face recognition, fingerprint, or by entering a password. This also automatically hides any references to locked chats in the notifications feed.
Announcing this feature, WhatsApp wrote via a post,
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“Our passion is to find new ways to help keep your messages private and secure. Today, we’re announcing Chat Lock on WhatsApp, which lets you protect your most intimate conversations behind one more layer of security. Locking a chat takes that thread out of your inbox and puts it behind its folder that can only be accessed with your device’s password or biometric, like a fingerprint.
“It also automatically hides the contents of that chat in notifications, too. We believe this feature will be great for people who share their phones from time to time with a family member, or in moments when 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 password or biometric. Over the next few months, we’re going to be adding more options for Chat Lock, including locks for companion devices and creating a custom password for your chats so that you can use a unique password different from your phone”.
This latest feature rolled out by Meta, further expands the array of privacy options offered by WhatsApp which includes message encryption and encrypted backups.
Notably, Chat Lock is coming after Whatsapp revealed plans to add more security features on the platform in the coming months, to enhance users’ protection. The social media platform revealed that it would be rolling out features such as Device verification, Automatic security codes, and Account protection.
As of 2022, WhatsApp reached over 2.44 billion users worldwide, as the popularity of WhatsApp has been ascribed to its ease of use and simplicity. The app’s intuitive user interface is a hit among users of various ages and backgrounds.
Not only is WhatsApp incredibly user-friendly with a simple interface, but the real-time chat, mobile accessibility, and file sharing features, amongst other features, are just unbeatable which makes it stands out amongst other messaging platforms.