WhatsApp Web will soon let you protect locked chats: How it works

WhatsApp has been spotted improving the chat lock feature, which is reportedly being developed on the web version of the popular messaging app. Users can already lock specific chats behind passwords on WhatsApp on iOS and Android, a feature that could improve user privacy on the platform. According to the details shared by the feature tracker, the service is expected to bring the same functionality to WhatsApp Web users.

spot Developed by feature tracker WABetaInfo on the latest version of WhatsApp Web, passwords for the recently launched Lock Chat feature will soon appear on the web client. The feature, which is expected to improve the privacy of WhatsApp users, is currently under development, which means even beta testers won’t be able to try the feature on the latest version.

Image source: WABetaInfo

The feature is expected to be the same as what’s available on WhatsApp on Android and iOS, allowing users to lock and hide some chats in the main chat list with a passcode. The code can be a word, a phrase – including emojis and special characters. Users can then enter the same password to display locked and hidden chat lists.

Using this feature, WhatsApp users will be able to protect some of their chats from prying eyes on a shared laptop or desktop computer that multiple users have access to. Just like the chat lock feature on WhatsApp for iOS and Android that was launched in November last year, these chats will only show up if the password is entered correctly.

On the mobile version of WhatsApp, users will see locked chats after a password leak, but only if the app remains open. Reopening the app will hide the chat history again and require you to enter your password again. Users can also disable the password feature and revert to the older chat lock feature that requires biometric authentication.