How to hide and unhide WhatsApp messages – our guide to chat lock
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If you want to hide your WhatsApp chats without having to mute or archive them, then we have put together a guide right here.
With a recent update, WhatsApp now allows users to hide specific chats from the main chat screen and also set a password. So, every time you need to access the locked chats on WhatsApp, you will need to enter a password. Once you lock a chat, you will not receive any notifications about new messages – so you will have to check for them.
With that being said, the process of locking chats is very similar on Android and iPhones, with slight differences – so we have added screenshots wherever necessary.
How to hide and lock chats on WhatsApp
Step
Find the chat you want to lock
Open WhatsApp and find the chat you want to lock. Once you find the chat, open it, and then tap on the profile to open the Contact Info.
Step
Lock the chat
Under Contact Info, you will see an option, ‘Lock Chat,’ with a switch next to it. To lock and hide the chat, toggle that switch on. When you activate it, you will be prompted to enter your WhatsApp PIN or Face ID or fingerprint, depending on your settings. Once you enter your password, the chat will be locked and hidden from the main chat screen.
Step
View the locked chats
There are two ways in which you can view the locked chats.
- The easiest way is to use the search bar. All you have to do is search for the contact that you have locked chats with, tap on that chat, and enter the password (or Face ID or fingerprint).
- To view and open the locked chats on WhatsApp, you have to scroll down TWICE. In the first scroll, you will see the archived messages at the top (below the search bar). And when you scroll down a second time, you will see the ‘Locked Chats’ tab. To read your chats, tap on it, and you will be asked to enter the password.
On Android phones, the ‘Locked Chats’ appear below the Archived Chats.
How to unhide locked chats on WhatsApp
In case you change your mind and no longer want the locked chats to be hidden, here’s how to unhide them –
Step
Find the locked chat
Open WhatsApp and find the locked chat. You can do this in two ways –
- Use the search box to look for the locked chats.
- Access the locked chats folder by scrolling down twice (as mentioned earlier).
When you find the locked conversation, open it.
Step
Unlock the chat
In the chat, tap on the profile to open the Contact Info. Scroll down to the ‘Lock Chat’ option and then toggle it off. You will be asked to verify your identity through Face ID or fingerprint.
Once unlocked, the chat will be available in the main chat screen again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you hide conversations on WhatsApp?
Yes, you can hide chats on WhatsApp. If you want to hide a conversation temporarily, you can mute it and then archive it. You won’t have to enter a password every time you want to open these chats. However, if you want extra privacy, you can choose to lock the chats. To access locked conversations, you will need to enter a password every time you open them.
Can we hide chats in WhatsApp without archive?
Yes, as mentioned earlier, you can use the Lock Chat feature to lock specific chats, which will hide them from the main chat screen and you will need a password to view them.
Conclusion
To sum up, WhatsApp’s new feature lets you hide and lock chats. As mentioned, these chats are hidden from the main chat screen – to find them, you will have to look for them via the search bar or unlock the ‘Locked Chats’ folder. To add a layer of security, you need a password to access the chats.
