Meta Launches New WhatsApp Chat Lock Feature, More security for private conversations

(Image credit- The Economic Times) Recently, WhatsApp's parent company, Meta, introduced a new security feature that is intended to keep private communications actually private. The "Chat Lock" function provides an additional degree of security for customers who share their devices with others, as detailed in a recent news release. Individual or group chats can be protected with Chat Lock using a device password or biometric data, such as a fingerprint. By doing this, you can shield your private talks from anyone who might get access to the device. Additionally, Chat Lock prevents sensitive information from being unintentionally displayed by automatically hiding the contents of the chat in alerts. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image credit- Al Bawaba[/caption]

How to Turn on the Chat Lock in WhatsApp

Users only need to tap on the contact or group name, choose the discussion they wish to lock, and then select the lock option to use Chat Lock. When users need to share their phones with others, WhatsApp claims that this functionality would come in handy. According to a recent report, Chat Locking is made for those who occasionally share their phones with friends or family or when another person may be holding their phone when a private message is received. Users can instantly lock their chats with Chat Locking by pressing the name of a one-on-one or group chat and choosing the lock option. A closed chat adds an additional layer of protection because it is hidden from view until the user enters their phone password or biometric authentication. Users only need to pull down their inbox, enter their phone password, or utilize biometric identification to access the encrypted chats. This gives users additional piece of mind by making sure that only authorized individuals can view these private talks. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="510"] Image credit- News18[/caption]

Public Now Has Access to This Feature

The function has been made available to everyone using WhatsApp, and over the coming months, more options will be added. Users will get the option to set their own chat passwords, allowing them to use a separate password from their phone. In order to provide even more choices for safeguarding conversations, companion device locks will also be implemented. WhatsApp improves its security measures in a number of ways, including Chat Lock. As the platform is already end-to-end encrypted, messages can only be viewed by the intended receiver. For users who share their smartphones with others, Chat Lock adds an extra degree of security, making it a crucial feature for anyone worried about security and privacy. Also read: WhatsApp to get locked conversations WhatsApp's data privacy standards have already drawn criticism. According to the reports, parent company Meta received criticism in January for failing to adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union. However, a recent feature added to WhatsApp might allay some of those worries. With over two billion active users, the platform is among the most frequently used messaging apps in the world.