How to Block Your Secrets on Whatsapp
Handing over an unlocked phone to someone else is stressful – you never know what might happen. Maybe they’ll stick with the one photo of your dog you’re trying to show them, or maybe they’ll see a private message you’d rather keep in front of your eyes. While many messaging apps can’t help with this, WhatsApp now can: The “Chat Lock” feature allows you to hide any chat you want and keep it safe from prying eyes.
WhatsApp announced the change in a May 15 blog post . Chat blocking works exactly as you think: when you block a chat, it hides it from everyone who views your WhatsApp. Not only that, it also blocks notification previews for that chat. This means you’ll need to check those chats from time to time to see exactly what’s been sent, but you also don’t risk someone seeing an embarrassing or compromising notification from one of them.
You can block any chat, including individual conversations as well as group topics. This feature pairs nicely with WhatsApp’s lock screen feature, which requires secondary authentication before opening the app for the first time.
How to block any chat on whatsapp
This feature is rolling out to the Android and iOS versions of WhatsApp right now, so you should see it coming soon. Make sure you’re on the latest version of the app by installing any updates from the App Store or Play Store. If you don’t see this feature yet, WhatsApp should be rolling it out to your device soon if you’re fully updated.
To get started, tap the desired chat, then tap the chat name at the top. Here you will see a new “Chat Lock” option: after you click it, you will need to authenticate yourself in order to complete the lock. Here’s how you’ll unlock chat in the future: If your phone uses a fingerprint scanner, you’ll scan your fingerprint. If it uses Face ID, you will use face scan. You can also use a PIN if you like.
Once you block a chat, it moves to a new “Blocked Chats” folder hidden on the home screen. Touch this folder, log in, and you can access any blocked chats.