Sometimes on WhatsApp we share sensitive information, which we would not want other people to see. This tutorial will explain how to hide certain conversations on WhatsApp Web , so that whoever approaches our computer cannot browse them.
First of all, we have to know if we have WhatsApp Web open in another location , because it is also a system by which they could spy on us without our being aware.
Once verified, there are two options to hide conversations: the archive function that WhatsApp Web brings by default, or a more advanced alternative using an extension for Google Chrome .
We are going to explain both, because depending on the situation, one or the other may be better for us:
Archive chats to hide them
Both the web version and the mobile app allow us to archive conversations on WhatsApp , so that they do not appear on the main screen, but can be recovered later with the content intact. Let’s see the steps:
- In WhatsApp Web we move the pointer to the conversation that we want to hide, it will turn gray and an arrow pointing down will appear in the right area . We will click on that arrow to open a menu:
- In the drop-down we will choose the option “Archive chat” that is shown first:
- In the lower left corner a message will indicate “Chat archived” , with the option to “Undo” in case we did it by mistake:
- Now that conversation will no longer appear in the list, but its content will not be deleted either. If we need to recover the archived conversations we will go to the icon with three vertical dots that heads the list of conversations, and we will choose “Archived” :
- Again we go to the drop-down menu of the conversation and choose “Unarchive” :
With this, previously archived conversations will reappear , including the history of what we have talked about and the photos or videos shared.
Thanks to this system we can hide and retrieve conversations on WhatsApp (be it the web version or the mobile app) as many times as we want, there is no limit.
Hide conversations with certain words
We have already seen how to hide WhatsApp at work , but perhaps we only need certain conversations to be safe from other people’s eyes when we get up from the computer leaving WhatsApp Web open.
There is no shortage of useful extensions for Google Chrome , which expand the possibilities of the browser in its desktop version, and in this case we will use a call WhatsHide, which can be downloaded free of charge at the following link:
- Download WhatsHide for Chrome (Windows / Mac / Linux)
- Clicking on the extension icon will open the menu to add the words that will hide the conversations where they appear . For example, “party”, “gift” and “cake” if we prepare a surprise birthday party:
- In the case of WhatsHide, the conversations are not archived, they are still in the list, but they are shown in white :
- When we want to access one of the blank chats, we only need to uncheck that word from the extension menu:
- In addition, it is possible to protect WhatsHide with a password , so that no one can retrieve the conversations or change the settings without permission:
With these two systems, it will be easy to hide the compromised content in the web version of the popular instant messaging app. If we are concerned about privacy on the mobile, it is worth reviewing the tricks to protect WhatsApp so that they cannot spy on us .
Of course, hiding conversations on WhatsApp Web is not 100% foolproof , so we should not rely on this system for very sensitive matters. WhatsApp security has always been in question, and for confidential issues it is better to opt for alternatives such as Telegram or Signal , with more effective encryption.
