Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

WhatsApp Gains Chat Lock Feature for More Private Conversations

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
67,548
37,909


WhatsApp is rolling out a new Chat Lock feature that allows users to secure select conversations in their inbox behind a passcode, fingerprint, or Face ID authentication, parent company Meta has announced.

whatsapp-locked-chats.jpg

In a post on its news page, Meta explained that locked conversations are removed from the regular chat list and hidden in a password-protected folder. Notification previews for any locked chats don't show sender or message content, while any media shared in locked chats won't be auto-saved to the phone's photo library, altogether keeping the conversations more private.
"We believe this feature will be great for people who share their phones from time to time with a family member, or in moments where someone else is holding your phone at the exact moment an extra-special chat arrives," said Meta.
Click to expand...
To lock a one-to-one or group chat, tap the name at the top of the conversation to reveal the thread's settings menu, where there is a new Lock option. To later reveal locked chats, slowly pull down on WhatsApp's main conversations list, and you'll be prompted for authentication before the locked chats folder can be opened.

The feature is coming to the latest version of WhatsApp for iOS on the App Store, and is rolling out to all users on both iPhone and Android in the coming days.

Article Link: WhatsApp Gains Chat Lock Feature for More Private Conversations
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/05/16/whatsapp-locked-chats/
zombierunner said:
Can we just get the official iPad app please. Whatsapp and Apple please make it happen.
Click to expand...

WhatsApp on Apple Watch would be amazing!! I can reply to incoming messages on the Watch (using the notification mechanism) but can't send a new message to anyone unless they message me first. Can be very frustrating/annoying on occasion if I'm out running or something and don't have my phone with me.

My dream scenario would be to be able to say to Siri "send a message to <person>" and have it open a new WhatsApp message.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rohitkalra90
There is so much Apple should steal / get "inspired" by and add it to iMessage. I don't like iMessage at all but I am forced to use it because I also have an iPad and more than one phone (linking multiple phones is still not available for me as an option)
 
Reason077 said:
So your boss doesn't look over your shoulder and see that you've been chatting to their competitor about a new job.

So your wife doesn't find out about the chats you've been having with your ex.

etc. etc. Plenty of valid scenarios for this ;)
Click to expand...
Really?
That would be so easy to sort any way.
I just store the number of who my new boss might be as something mundane?
 
MindYourMind said:
What incentive is there to do that? Especially for iPad. If Meta wants it, wouldn’t they have done it already?
Click to expand...
What on earth kind of logic is that? Because it’s convenient? And most other apps have this? Why would you NOT want it on every device?
 
I wish I could lock iMessage with FaceID in the same way I can lock WhatsApp or Signal (or most other messengers, really).

Hiding specific conversations might be useful at times, but not really a priority for me.
 
Choco Taco said:
What on earth kind of logic is that? Because it’s convenient? And most other apps have this? Why would you NOT want it on every device?
Click to expand...

Idly pondering that it would be fascinating to know the inside scoop for why Meta has decided not to create iPad and AW apps for WhatsApp
 
Reason077 said:
So your boss doesn't look over your shoulder and see that you've been chatting to their competitor about a new job.

So your wife doesn't find out about the chats you've been having with your ex.

etc. etc. Plenty of valid scenarios for this ;)
Click to expand...
Exactly that kind of scenarios… and more. Kids sending stuff they are not allowed to, cheating partners… Nothing else. They are growing a culture where this is the new normal… giving more ability to hide stuff.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Oblivious.Robot, Bitácora and Demonknight
Reason077 said:
WhatsApp on Apple Watch would be amazing!! I can reply to incoming messages on the Watch (using the notification mechanism) but can't send a new message to anyone unless they message me first. Can be very frustrating/annoying on occasion if I'm out running or something and don't have my phone with me.

My dream scenario would be to be able to say to Siri "send a message to <person>" and have it open a new WhatsApp message.
Click to expand...

Sadly they are removing the Apple Watch app soon so you won’t even be able to reply
 
Meta doing this will just force company bosses and government run/related companies/businesses to enforce rules that whatsapp cannot be used on company mobile phones. There have been tabloid press articles of groups of people in the military and the police running whatsapp groups designed to take the p**s out of people and to make fun of them. One of the worst cases is most recently where in the UK a serving police officer used his police credentials to kidnap, rape and kill a woman and it was found during an investigation in the murder that the serving police officer was a member of a whatsapp group that took pleasure in deriding others in society. Now what would have happened if this new Meta feature was already available? the police officers in the group, including the killer, would have been able to lock down the chat and prevent any others from seeing it.

Whilst the feature maybe good for some, it will most certainly be abused by a large majority of others.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back