- "Whenever there’s a new chat which you want to lock, you can now long press to lock it rather than visiting the chat’s settings."
- In October, WhatsApp announced it is introducing multiple accounts in a single device.
Meta-owned messaging app WhatsApp has introduced a new secret code set to add additional protection for chats.
WhatsApp said the new feature will make chats harder to find if someone has access to your phone or you share a phone with someone else.
The company says with the secret code, an individual will now be able to set unique passwords different from what they have been using to unlock their phones.
"This will give your locked chats an extra layer of privacy," WhatsApp said.
"You'll have the option to hide the Locked Chats folder from your chatlist so that they can only be discovered by typing your secret code in the search bar."
However, WhatsApp said if a user feels like the new feature does not fit their needs, they can still choose to have the locked chats appear on chatlist.
"Whenever there’s a new chat which you want to lock, you can now long press to lock it rather than visiting the chat’s settings."
Additionally, WhatsApp said it hopes the new feature will be more useful to the users.
"We’re so happy our community has been loving Chat Lock, and hope that secret code makes it even more useful to them."
The secret chat rolled out on November 30 and will be available globally in the coming months.
"We’re excited to keep bringing more functions to Chat Lock to help people protect their privacy, let us know what you think."
WhatsApp has been working around adding features on the messaging app to improve user experience.
In October, WhatsApp announced it was introducing multiple accounts in a single device.
This means two accounts will be logged in at the same time on one device, a feature that was previously unavailable.
"This will help switch between accounts, such as your work and personal," the company said in a statement.
"Now you no longer need to log out each time, carry two phones or worry about messaging from the wrong place."
Further, Meta said for one to enjoy the feature, they will need a second phone number and SIM Card, or a phone that accepts multi-SIM or eSIM.
"Simply open your WhatsApp settings, click on the arrow next to your name, and click 'add account'. You can control your privacy and notification settings on each account," Meta added.