WhatsApp testing new privacy features, including secret chat codes

WhatsApp is currently developing an enhanced privacy feature for its Android users, offering more security options within the platform.

According to a report from WABetaInfo, the Meta-owned messaging app is working on a feature that will allow users to generate secret codes for their chats, effectively turning them into password-protected conversations.

It’s important to note that this feature is still in the testing phase and is not available to any users, including beta testers.

These secret chat codes will essentially act as passwords for safeguarding private conversations.

Users will be able to locate these hidden chats by entering the secret code into the app’s search bar.

Additionally, it’s expected that these codes will enable users to keep their conversations hidden on companion devices.

Users will also have the flexibility to choose a word or emoji as their secret code.

Currently, WhatsApp users have the option to archive chats, which removes them from the regular chat inbox but doesn’t provide the same level of security as secret codes.

To archive WhatsApp chats, users can follow these simple steps:

After opening WhatsApp, long-press on the chat you want to hide.

Then tap on the down arrow icon to archive it.

To retrieve archived chats, users can search for the chat using the search bar or access the conversation if there is any new message from the chat partner.

This method ensures that the chat is temporarily archived, and users can also disable notifications for archived chats.

Moreover, users can scroll to the bottom of the chat list to access the archived chats option.

In addition to these features, WhatsApp is reportedly testing an Android-exclusive capability that will allow users to lock all their chats within the app using biometric authentication.

To enable this feature, users can:

Tap on the three-dot menu after opening WhatsApp. It will appear in the top right corner. Then navigate to Settings > Privacy.

Scroll down to tap on the Fingerprint lock option. Turn on the toggle for Unlock with fingerprint.

The secret chat code feature and the ability to lock chats using biometric authentication are currently under testing for Android users and are expected to be rolled out to all users shortly.

As of now, they are not even available for beta testers.

Furthermore, WhatsApp might also introduce the option to pin messages in individual chats for a specific duration.

These messages can be pinned for 24 hours, 7 days and so on, as suggested by WABetaInfo.

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