WhatsApp Rolls Out Secret Code Feature for Locked Chats on iOS and Android: How it Works

WhatsApp is rolling out a new Secret Code feature for locked chats. The Chat Lock feature announced by the company earlier this year has now been extended and allows you to hide your locked chats behind a secret code. As a result, you can hide your sensitive conversations with other users from view when you’re passing your phone to a friend, or if your phone falls into the wrong hands. Alternatively, you can continue to protect your chats with your phone’s PIN or passcode, or by scanning your face or fingerprint.

On Thursday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the rollout of the new Secret Code for Chat Lock feature that lets you select a chat and lock it behind a password or a phrase. Chats hidden behind a secret code will not be visible in the main chat list and can only be accessed when the secret code is entered, adding another layer of safety to the messaging platform.

The new Secret Code setting on WhatsApp

 

Gadgets 360 was able to test out the feature on the beta version of the app for Android smartphones. After you open the list of locked chats and tap the three-dot menu at the top > Chat lock settings > toggle Hide locked chats and enter a secret code that you can remember easily, your locked chats will no longer be visible in the main chat window — currently, WhatsApp shows a shortcut for locked chats when swiping down on the chat screen — these can be accessed using your fingerprint or Face ID.

After you’ve set a secret code, there’s only one way to reveal your locked chats on WhatsApp — you must enter the same secret code in the search bar on the app. This will show conversations protected by the Chat Lock feature, but only until you exit the app.

If you don’t need to hide the presence of your chats on WhatsApp, you can revert back to the original Chat Lock feature by opening the list of locked chats using your secret code, then tapping on the three-dot menu > Chat lock settings > toggle Hide locked chats off to disable the Secret Code feature.

WhatsApp also says that you won’t have to enter individual chat settings to lock a chat — you can simply long press a chat to lock it. While the secret code feature has begun rolling out to users, it will be available globally in the coming months. There’s no word on when — or whether — WhatsApp will bring the secret code feature to WhatsApp for Desktop.


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WhatsApp Testing Secret Code Feature for Locked Chats; Channel Usernames Reportedly in the Works

WhatsApp has begun testing a new feature that allows you to hide secret chats on the messaging app. With the latest beta version of WhatsApp for Android, you can set a secret code that will allow you to hide specific chats from the main list. Currently, WhatsApp allows you to swipe down in the chat list to open your hidden chats, but the new feature will hide them from even showing up until the secret code is entered. Meanwhile, WhatsApp is also working on developing a feature that will allow you to set a username for channels.

After updating to WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.24.20, you will be able to set a secret code for hidden chats on the messaging app. In order to do so, open the list of locked chats and tap the three-dot menu at the top > Chat lock settings > toggle Hide locked chats and enter a memorable secret code. WhatsApp specifically asks you to choose a memorable secret code as resetting your secret code will clear all your locked chats.

WhatsApp’s new secret code feature
Photo Credit: Screenshot/ WhatsApp

 

Once you have hidden your locked chats, they won’t be visible in the Locked chats category that shows up when you swipe down on the home screen. Instead, you will have to enter the secret code in the search bar to open the hidden (and locked) chat list.

The feature to hide locked chats will prevent someone who is using your phone from detecting the presence of locked chats on your phone — instead of simply swiping down, they will need to enter your secret code. 

If you wish to revert to the previous locking mechanism that protects chats with your fingerprint, you can toggle Hide locked chats following the steps mentioned above, after entering your secret code. The locked chats will once again be visible with a swipe down on the list of main chats.  

Meanwhile, feature tracker WABetaInfo spotted a new feature in development that will allow users to set a username for channels. Once a username is set, your channel subscribers will be able to enter the username to open the channel, according to the tracker. The feature is still being worked on, so beta testers won’t be able to try the feature until it is rolled out on the beta channel at a later date. 


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