WhatsApp is one of the most popular chat apps out there, allowing you to send direct messages to individuals and groups, as well as giving you the ability tomake voice or video calls. Despite concerns about how much of your personal data is shared with Meta (the owner of WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook,Instagram Threads, and more), the app continues to have more and more privacy features added. Alongsideend-to-end encryption, WhatsApp introduced the ability to lock specific chats, so that even if someone has access to your phone, and the app is unlocked, they won’t be able to read your sensitive messages.
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WhatsApp has now added another layer of security into the mix: secret codes. These codes allow you to use a secret password to lock your chats, and you can even use it to hide all of your locked chats completely. Here’s everything you need to know about WhatsApp secret codes.
What is WhatsApp Chat Lock?
Chat Lockis a WhatsApp feature that was launched in 2023. It allows you to lock specific one-to-one or group chats with your passcode or biometric data, such as your fingerprint or using facial recognition.
Lock your chats, not just the WhatsApp app
You canlock the entire WhatsApp appso that you require a passcode, fingerprint, or facial recognition to open it, but once the app is open, anyone who gets hold of your phone can read your WhatsApp messages. Chat Lock allows you to add another lock to your sensitive chats, so that even if someone has access to your phone when the app is unlocked, they won’t be able to access any locked chats.
One downside with locking chats is that a folder appears in WhatsApp, called Locked Chats. If other people see that you have a locked folder, it may lead to some uncomfortable conversations with partners or family members. That’s where the new WhatsApp secret codes can help.
What does the WhatsApp secret code do?
The WhatsApp secret code serves two main purposes. Firstly, it allows you to lock a chat with a code that’s different to thepasscode for your phone. If you have friends or family that know your phone passcode, they may be able to use it to unlock your locked WhatsApp chats. Setting up a secret code allows you to use a different passcode that only you know to protect your locked chats.
Hide your locked chats from view
Using a WhatsApp secret code also allows you to hide your locked chats from view. You can opt to hide your locked chats folder, so that the folder doesn’t appear in the app when you’re using WhatsApp. Anyone else using your phone will be completely unaware that you’ve got some locked chats hidden away.
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Once the Locked Chats folder is hidden, the only way to make it appear again is to search for your secret code in the WhatsApp chat search bar. If you enter the correct secret code, your Locked Chats folder will appear.
How to lock chats in WhatsApp
Before you can use a secret code to hide your Locked Chats folder, you’ll need to lock some chats in the first place. There are a couple of ways you can do so.
How to create a WhatsApp secret code
Once you’ve created a Locked Chats folder, you can set up a secret code to protect it.
How to hide your WhatsApp locked chats with a secret code
Once you’ve locked some chats and set up a secret code, you can hide your Locked Chats folder so that no one knows you’ve got any chats that are locked.
Can other people see my locked chats on WhatsApp?
If you’ve chosen to hide your Locked Chats folder using the method above, then no one else will be able to see that you have any locked chats. However, if you haven’t hidden the Locked Chats folder, anyone who has access to your phone when WhatsApp is unlocked may be able to see that you have a Locked Chats folder by swiping down on your chat list.
When you lock a chat or hide your Locked Chats folder, other WhatsApp users who are part of those locked chats will not be notified, so they will be unaware of whether or not your chat with them is locked or hidden.
Why can’t I create a secret code on WhatsApp?
If you’ve followed the instructions above but can’t see any settings for your Locked Chats folder, this means that you don’t have access to the feature yet. The WhatsApp secret codes feature started rolling out at the end of November 2023, but the company says that the feature will only be available globally ‘in the coming months’ so you may need to wait a little longer before you can make use of WhatsApp secret codes.
How to hide unlocked chats on WhatsApp
If you don’t want to lock your WhatsApp chats or use a secret code, it’s still possible to hide your unlocked chats from the main chat list by archiving them. These chats won’t be visible in the main list, although the Archive folder can be found by swiping down on the chat list, so anyone with access to your phone can access these chats if they wish. It’s still a good way to stop chats from appearing in the main list of chats, however.
How to keep WhatsApp more private
Secret codes are a great way to keep your WhatsApp chats more private, without starting any awkward conversations about why you have any locked chats. There are a lot of other useful features that can help you keep WhatsApp more private, too.
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You canhide your profile picture from individual contactsso that only those people you select can see it. You can alsohide your IP address on WhatsApp calls. And now it’s even possible touse two WhatsApp accounts on the same phone, so keep your personal and professional lives completely separate.
