How To Lock WhatsApp Chat on Android

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WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows us to easily communicate with friends, family, and colleagues through text, voice messages, video calling, and more.

While WhatsApp brings great convenience, you may sometimes want to lock certain sensitive chats to keep them private. Thankfully, WhatsApp has a feature that allows you to lock specific chats on Android devices.

In this comprehensive guide, we will show you step-by-step how to lock WhatsApp chats on your Android smartphone or tablet.

Quick Answer:

Here are quick answers for the article:

How to lock WhatsApp chats on Android:

Set up a screen lock on your Android device first (fingerprint, PIN etc)
Open the WhatsApp chat you want to lock
Tap on the contact name at the top
Scroll down and tap “Lock Chat”
Choose your preferred lock method when prompted
Chat will now show as locked behind your chosen screen lock
To unlock a chat, open it, tap their name and tap “Unlock Chat”
You can also lock multiple chats at once from “Locked Chats” in WhatsApp menu

Step 1: Set Up Screen Lock on Your Android Device

The first step is to make sure you have a screen lock set up on your Android device. This can be:

A PIN code
Password
Pattern
Fingerprint
Face recognition

Screen lock is required to enable the locking of WhatsApp chats.

To set up screen lock:

Go to ‘Settings’ on your Android device.
Tap ‘Security & location’.
Choose your preferred screen lock method – PIN, password, pattern etc.
Set up the screen lock credentials as prompted.

If choosing fingerprint or face recognition, you will also need to register your fingerprint or face ID in the ‘Security & location’ settings.

Step 2: Open the WhatsApp Chat You Want to Lock

Once your device screen lock is set up, open WhatsApp and go to the specific chat you want to lock. This could be an individual or group chat.

Tap on the chat to open the conversation thread you want to lock down with extra security.

Step 3: Tap on the Contact’s Name at the Top of the Chat

At the top of the WhatsApp chat, you will see the name of the recipient or group.

Tap on their name to open their contact details.

Read my post on: How To Unlock Locked Chat On WhatsApp

Step 4: Scroll Down and Tap ‘Lock Chat’

After tapping the contact’s name, scroll down on their profile page and you will see the option to ‘Lock Chat’.

Tap on ‘Lock Chat’ to enable locking for this specific chat.

Step 5 – Enable Lock With Your Preferred Screen Lock

A popup will appear asking you to enable locking this chat. Tap ‘Enable’ and choose your preferred screen lock method – fingerprint, face ID, PIN, etc.

Confirm by tapping ‘OK’.

Step 6 – Chat Will Now Show as Locked

Once enabled, you will see the chat is now marked as locked. The lock icon indicates your chat is now secured behind screen lock.

Whenever you open this chat in future, your fingerprint or screen lock method will need to be used to view messages. This prevents unauthorized access.

Locking WhatsApp chats is straightforward on Android and helps give you greater control over your privacy. Enable it for your most private conversations.

FAQs:

Does the other person know if I lock a WhatsApp chat?

No, locking chats is completely on your side. Other users will not know if you have locked a chat.

Can I still receive messages in a locked chat?

Yes, you will still receive incoming WhatsApp messages in a locked chat. You just need to unlock it to view them.

Will locked chats backup to Google Drive?

Locked WhatsApp chats will still back up to your linked Google Drive account. The encryption prevents anyone else from accessing your backups.

If I get a new phone, will locked chats transfer over?

When you set up WhatsApp on a new Android phone using the same number, your locked chats will sync and restore from Google Drive backup.

Can I still receive notifications from locked chats?

You will still get notifications from locked WhatsApp chats. But the message content will not be visible until you unlock the chat.

Is there any way to mass-unlock chats?

Yes, the easiest way is to go to Locked Chats and select all, then tap Unlock [X] Chats to mass unlock.

Conclusion

Locking WhatsApp chats is an easy way to add an extra layer of privacy and security on your Android device. By enabling fingerprint or screen lock on individual chats, you can protect access and organize your inbox better.

Now you know how to lock your most private or distracting conversations in just a few taps. Use chat locking to take control of your WhatsApp experience on Android.