Protected chats are not displayed when opening WhatsApp, but are hidden in a special folder.It’s official: WhatsApp already allows us to block some chats with a fingerprint , instead of having to protect the entire application , which was the option we already had for a couple of years.
The novelty is called Chat Lock and it comes so that we can protect our most private chats from outside eyes . The protected chats are not shown in the list with the rest, they need us to identify ourselves with the biometrics of the mobile to read them and they do not show the content of the message in the notifications.
How to password protect a chat
WhatsApp has a new way to protect our most private chats from those who already have access to our mobile or may be viewing the mobile screen (for example, looking over their shoulder while using it).
The protection is based on the biometrics of the mobile, which in Android mobiles is synonymous with the fingerprint reader. You can protect any private or group chat by opening the conversation and tapping on the top bar to open the information window, there you will find the new Chat Lock section .
The next step is to check Block this chat with a fingerprint and, after confirming our identity using the mobile’s biometrics, the chat will already be protected. To use WhatsApp locked chats, you need to have set up mobile fingerprints beforehand.
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If everything went well, you will see the message This chat is now blocked . From that moment on, notifications of new messages for that chat will not show the sender or the content of the text, and the chat itself will not be displayed in the WhatsApp conversations window along with the rest.
Protecting a WhatsApp chat with a fingerprint is very easy, although you must remember that the protection only applies to WhatsApp on your mobile and not on other devices such as linked sessions on other mobiles or on WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp Desktop. These are all the steps:
- Open the chat in question
- Tap on the top bar to open the chat information window
- Tap Chat Lock
- Check Lock this chat with fingerprint
- Press OKin the window that appears
How to view protected chats
When you protect a WhatsApp chat with a password, it is no longer visible in the chat list along with the rest, even if it has just received new messages. Instead, it shows up in the Blocked Chats folder , which you’ll find at the top of your chats list.
The Blocked Chats folder is not always visible and sometimes we will have to scroll down to display it . Visually, it is similar to the archived chats folder , but the number of unread messages, if any, is not displayed here.
To see the chats within that folder you will need to verify your identity using the mobile’s fingerprint reader . Once inside, you can open and interact with the chats just like always. If you exit the folder to a “normal” chat and try to return, you will have to use the fingerprint reader again.