Meta, the parent company of popular messaging platform WhatsApp, has introduced a new feature called Chat Lock, designed to empower WhatsApp users with enhanced control over the privacy of their conversations.
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, made the official announcement through his Instagram broadcast channel earlier this week.
A closer look at WhatsApp’s Chat Lock:
The Chat Lock feature allows WhatsApp users to move specific chats from their inbox to a password-protected folder, ensuring that these conversations remain concealed and inaccessible to unauthorized individuals.
When a new message is received in a locked chat, both the sender’s name and message content will be concealed, providing an additional layer of privacy.
Meta expressed their belief that this feature would be particularly valuable for individuals who occasionally share their phones with family members or find themselves in situations where someone else may have temporary possession of their device when an important conversation occurs. A blog post from Meta emphasized the benefits of this new capability.
How to use WhatsApp’s Chat Lock:
To lock a chat on WhatsApp, users can follow a simple process. Firstly, they need to open the WhatsApp application and select the name of the person or group chat they wish to secure.
Next, users should choose the “Chat Lock” option, typically located within the “Disappearing Messages” section. From there, they can select a passcode or opt to use their fingerprint to lock the conversation, moving it into a separate folder labelled “Locked Chats.”
How to Unlock a WhatsApp Chat:
Unlocking locked WhatsApp chats is equally straightforward. Users can pull down slowly on the chats inbox to reveal the “Locked Chats” folder. To gain access to the locked chats, they must enter the designated passcode or use their registered fingerprint. Once unlocked, the locked chats will appear like any other conversation.
The future of WhatsApp’s Chat Lock:
WhatsApp has indicated its plans to introduce additional features and enhancements to Chat Lock in the upcoming months, providing users with even more options for safeguarding their private conversations.
