All of us use WhatsApp for personal and professional purposes. At times, we also use this messaging app for intimate and sensitive conversations. We can easily enable PIN, pattern, or fingerprint lock to stop prying eyes from accessing all chats from WhatsApp privacy settings. What would you do if you want to hide or lock a particular chat in WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business for Android? In this tutorial, we’ll check out the quick steps to lock and unlock chats in WhatsApp for Android.
Putting a lock on WhatsApp might be pretty irritating because you’ll need to authenticate your identity every time you want to access your conversations. WhatsApp’s new ‘Chat lock’ feature saves us from that frustrating experience. By enabling this feature, you easily lock the WhatsApp chats of your choice. That means, you can hide and lock only those WhatsApp chats that contain sensitive or very personal conversations. The ‘Chat lock’ feature now is available in both WhatsApp for Android and iOS.
How to Lock Particular Chat in WhatsApp
If you’re looking for a way to keep your WhatsApp chats private and hidden from prying eyes, you can do so by locking and hiding them using the Chat Lock feature. This feature is available on WhatsApp for Android and iOS, and it’s a simple process to set up. Follow the steps given below.
- Launch WhatsApp and open the chat you want to lock.
- Tap on the chat or conversation name (which can either be a contact name or a phone number) to view the chat info screen. Alternatively, you can also open the chat info screen by tapping the 3-dot icon and selecting the View contact option.
- On the chat info screen, scroll down and tap on the Chat lock option.
- On the next screen, tap on the toggle button next to Lock this chat with fingerprint.
- A small pop-up will appear saying that the chat you are locking on your current device, will not be locked on other linked devices. Just tap on OK.
- Now, you’ll need to place your finger on the fingerprint scanner button to enable the chat lock. You’ll be greeted with another pop-up confirming that the chat has been locked.
That’s it! You now know how to find the chat info screen on WhatsApp and how to lock a particular chat.
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How to Find Locked Chats on WhatsApp
Now that you’ve locked a WhatsApp chat, you should also know how you can find locked chats on WhatsApp. As soon as a chat is locked, WhatApp hides it so that it does not show up on the chat list. There are 3 ways to find locked chat in WhatsApp for Android.
Method 1: Via WhatsApp Chat Feed
To find the hidden or locked chats in WhatsApp via the chat feed, do as instructed below.
- Open WhatsApp, and swipe down the chat list.
- You’ll see Locked chats on the top of the chat feed.
- Tap on Locked chats and scan your fingerprint or use your device PIN to view the list of all locked chats.
- You’ll now have your locked chats in front of your eyes. Tap on a chat to view its messages or start a conversation.
Method 2: Using WhatsApp Contact Search
Alternatively, you can also go to a locked WhatsApp chat directly by using the app’s built-in chat search feature.
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the Search icon.
- Type the name of the contact for which you enabled the Chat lock.
- Tap the contact name, and use your fingerprint or PIN to view the chat.
Method 3: Via Contacts App
While the above methods are very easy, there’s yet another way to find locked chats in WhatsApp for Android.
- Open Contacts on your Android device.
- Look for the contact for which you enabled the Chat lock feature.
- Open the contact info page and tap on the WhatsApp shortcut.
- You’ll then be prompted to use your fingerprint or PIN.
That’s it! You can now view the locked chat.
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How to Unlock a Locked Chat on WhatsApp
I came across the Chat Lock feature in WhatsApp accidentally. I enabled the feature out of curiosity. However, after locking the chat, I was unable to find it. To be honest, I was baffled. However, after some time, I was able to access the locked chat using the chat search feature.
Turning the chat lock off or unlocking a locked chat in WhatsApp is pretty easy. Here’s how to do it.
- Open WhatsApp and swipe down the chat feed to view Locked chats.
- Now, tap on the chat you want to unlock. You’ll need to use your fingerprint to view the chat.
- When the chat is open, tap on the contact name or 3-dot icon > View contact to view the chat info page.
- On the chat info page, go to the Chat lock option and tap on it.
- On the next screen, tap on the toggle next to the Lock this chat with fingerprint option.
- Put your finger on the fingerprint scanner or use your device’s PIN.
The locked WhatsApp chat will be unlocked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the solutions to some commonly asked queries related to WhatsApp Chat lock.
WhatsApp chat lock not showing
If the WhatsApp Chat lock option is now showing up on your phone, there could be 2 reasons:
- You are using an outdated version of WhatsApp. Please update the app or install the latest version.
- The Chat lock option is unavailable if there’s no conversation in the chat. Just send a message to that contact and the Chat lock feature will be enabled.
How to lock WhatsApp chat without fingerprint or with a password
Chat lock uses your phone’s current security method to work. For, example if you use don’t use fingerprint lock on your Android device, you can lock a WhatsApp chat without fingerprint using a PIN, password, or pattern. If you want to use Chat lock without fingerprint, you will need to remove it from the active phone unlocking methods.
How to Lock WhatsApp group by admin
The Chat lock feature works not only for individual chats but also for WhatsApp groups. You can easily lock a WhatsApp group whether you are its admin or just a member.
Will I get notifications for locked chats?
No, you won’t get any notifications if you receive new messages in a locked chat. Locking the chat doesn’t block the WhatsApp calling feature.
Can I turn on Chat lock for archived chats?
Archived chats in WhatsApp can’t be locked. If you wish to lock an archived chat, you first need to unarchive it. Read our handy tutorial to learn to archive and unarchive WhatsApp chats.
We hope this step-by-step guide has helped you lock chats in WhatsApp for Android. We also described in detail how you can find and unlock a locked chat in WhatsApp. It is important to remember to keep your chats secure and private, and with these simple steps, you can now do so with ease. If you require further assistance or have any questions about using this feature, please contact us directly.
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