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WhatsApp users will be able to have their chats locked, making their conversations more private and secured.

The new feature was announced on WhatsApp’s blog on May 15, while Meta's founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg later posted the news on Facebook.

An additional layer of privacy

WhatsApp currently has end-to-end encryption, but this would not apply if others can unlock one's phone and view WhatsApp messages.

According to WhatsApp, the Chat Lock feature would be useful for those who share their phones with family members, or for “those moments where someone else is holding [one’s] phone at the exact moment an extra special chat arrives”.

A chat can be locked by tapping the name and selecting the lock option.

Locked chats will be hidden in a “password protected folder” which can only be unlocked by pulling down the inbox and entering the device's password or biometric, such as a fingerprint.

Notifications would also hide the sender and message content.

More features

WhatsApp will be adding more options to the Chat Lock feature over the next few months.

This will include locking for companion devices and the creation of a custom password for chats such that there is a unique password for every device.

The new feature will be rolled out globally over the next few weeks, a spokesperson told Mothership.

WhatsApp users can keep a lookout for the Chat Lock feature and refer to the Help Centre for more information.

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Top images via Unsplash/Asterfolio & Whatsapp