WhatsApp privacy guide
What Is WhatsApp Chat Lock and How Does It Work?
WhatsApp Chat Lock moves an individual or group conversation out of the main chat list into a protected Locked chats folder. Opening it requires device authentication, such as a passcode, fingerprint, or Face ID, or a separate secret code. Notifications from locked chats hide the sender and message text. To lock a chat, press and hold it in the chat list and choose Lock chat; to find it later, pull down on the chat list and open Locked chats. You can also hide that folder and reveal it by typing your secret code into WhatsApp search.
What does Chat Lock actually protect?
Chat Lock adds a privacy layer to selected WhatsApp conversations on your device. Locked chats move to a separate folder, and WhatsApp asks for authentication before showing them. You can lock one-to-one chats, groups, and muted chats. The other participants are not notified when you lock a conversation.
It also changes the notification preview: WhatsApp hides the contact name and message content, showing a generic WhatsApp notification instead. It does not block calls from that contact. Chat Lock protects access to a conversation; it does not delete messages, make them disappear, or change who can send you messages.
How to lock or unlock a WhatsApp chat on iPhone and Android
WhatsApp's current Help Center describes the same basic path on both phones. Menu labels may vary slightly by device and app language.
- 1Open WhatsApp and find the individual or group conversation in the Chats list.
- 2Press and hold the chat, then open the menu and choose Lock chat. On some screens, you can open the chat info and select Chat lock there.
- 3Confirm with your phone's passcode, fingerprint, or Face ID. If device authentication is not set up, WhatsApp will ask you to set it up first.
- 4To remove Chat Lock later, open the locked chat, press and hold it, and choose Unlock chat. This returns it to the normal chat list without using the destructive clear option.
Where do locked chats go, and how do you open them?
- 1On the Chats screen, pull down on the conversation list and tap Locked chats.
- 2Authenticate with your device or choose Use secret code if you have set one.
- 3If you turned on Hide locked chats, the folder will not appear in the list. Tap WhatsApp's search bar, type your secret code, and open Locked chats from the result.
How to create a secret code and hide the Locked chats folder
A secret code is different from your phone passcode. It can protect locked chats even when someone knows how to unlock your phone. Hiding the folder is optional.
- 1Open Locked chats on your primary iPhone or Android phone and authenticate.
- 2Open Chat lock settings → Secret code. Enter a code, confirm it, and finish setup.
- 3To remove the folder from your visible chat list, return to Chat lock settings and turn on Hide locked chats.
- 4To access the hidden folder, type the secret code in WhatsApp search. You can turn hiding off again from Chat lock settings after opening the folder.
What changes when a chat is locked?
People in the conversation do not get a notice that you locked it. Incoming message notifications hide the contact name and content, but calls from that contact still come through.
A locked chat stays locked if you restore your WhatsApp backup on a new phone; you will need device authentication there. On WhatsApp Web, the current Help Center says you need to create a secret code on your primary phone to open locked chats. Control the hide or unhide setting from the phone.
Chat Lock is a local access control, so keep your phone and linked devices secure. It does not make messages invisible to another participant, remove an existing screenshot or export, or undo a message that you sent.
Forgot your secret code? Avoid clearing your chats by mistake
If the Locked chats folder is hidden and you forget the secret code, WhatsApp offers Unlock and clear locked chats under Settings → Privacy → Chat lock. This is a destructive reset: it clears the code and returns the chats to your list, but also removes the messages, photos, and videos in those locked chats.
Do not choose Unlock and clear merely to turn off Chat Lock on a chat you can still open. Use Unlock chat instead. If you already cleared a chat, WhatsApp says a backup made before clearing may restore content from before that backup; newer messages and media will not be in it.
Chat Lock versus Archive, App Lock, and disappearing messages
Archive moves a conversation out of the main list for organization, without requiring authentication to open it. App Lock protects access to WhatsApp as a whole. Chat Lock protects selected conversations inside WhatsApp.
Disappearing messages remove new messages after a chosen timer unless they are kept under WhatsApp's rules. Chat Lock has no message timer. Use the feature that matches the privacy problem you are trying to solve; locking a chat does not change its retention settings.
WhatsApp Chat Lock questions
Does the other person know if I lock our WhatsApp chat?
No. WhatsApp says other participants are not notified when you lock a chat. Locking changes how that conversation is displayed and opened on your device.
Can I lock a WhatsApp group chat?
Yes. WhatsApp says Chat Lock works with group chats and muted chats as well as individual conversations.
Why do my notifications only say WhatsApp?
Notifications for locked chats hide the contact name and message preview. They may show a generic label such as “WhatsApp: 1 new message.”
Can I use Chat Lock on WhatsApp Web?
WhatsApp's Help Center says you can open locked chats on WhatsApp Web after creating a secret code on your primary Android phone or iPhone. The hide or unhide setting is managed on the phone.
Will I lose messages if I turn Chat Lock off?
Unlock chat normally does not clear the conversation. The separate Unlock and clear locked chats command does remove messages and media. Read that confirmation carefully before using it.
Does Chat Lock stop someone from exporting or analyzing my chat?
Chat Lock controls access on your device; it does not erase copies another participant already has. MyChatWrap can analyze only a chat export that a person chooses to provide, and it cannot open your locked chats or WhatsApp account.