WhatsApp has unveiled its latest feature, “Chat Lock,” aimed at providing users with an additional level of security for their private conversations. With this feature, users can lock individual chats, moving them to a separate folder that can only be accessed with their device password or biometric authentication, such as a fingerprint.
Once a chat is locked, the app will also automatically hide the chat’s contents in notifications. To access these locked chats, users need to pull down their inboxes and enter their phone password or biometric information.
In a blog post, the company explained that this feature is particularly beneficial for individuals who occasionally share their phones with family members or when someone else briefly holds their phone while receiving a sensitive message.
WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, has plans to expand the Chat Lock options, including locking for companion devices and allowing users to set custom passwords for their chats, providing an additional layer of security beyond their phone’s password.
While WhatsApp already offers end-to-end encryption, this encryption does not apply when someone has unlocked access to the phone. The introduction of the Chat Lock feature addresses this concern by offering enhanced security in such situations.
This new feature comes shortly after WhatsApp introduced updates related to polls and sharing on its platform. Users can now create single-vote polls, ensuring that each person can only vote once. Additionally, media can be forwarded with captions, allowing for more context and information when sharing content.
Last month, the company also announced the Multiple Phones feature, which allows the same WhatsApp account to be used on multiple phones.
With these recent updates, WhatsApp continues to prioritize user privacy and security while enhancing the overall user experience on its messaging platform.
