WhatsApp is taking privacy of your intimate chats a level up. In a bid to enhance the privacy and security of private chats, WhatsApp has announced the rollout of a new feature called “Chat Lock.” It is aimed at protecting intimate conversations from prying eyes.

With Chat Lock, WhatsApp users can now add an extra layer of security their private conversations, shielding them from unauthorised access. This feature allows users to lock individual chats with a passcode or biometric authentication, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, depending on their device capabilities.

WhatsApp explains that Chat Lock feature takes that “thread out of the inbox and puts it behind its own folder that can only be accessed with your device password or biometric, like a fingerprint. It also automatically hides the contents of that chat in notifications, too.”

To use Chat Lock, you can follow a simple set of instructions. First, you need to update your WhatsApp application to the latest version available. Tap on the profile picture of the specific contact or group you want to lock. Underneath the disappearing message menu, you will find a new option labeled “Chat Lock.” Select this option. Activate the Chat Lock function and verify your identity by entering your phone password or using metric authentication, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, if supported by your device.

Notably, Chat Lock offers users flexibility in choosing which chats to secure, allowing user to prioritise and protect their most confidential conversations.

“We think this feature will be great for people who have reason to share their phones from time to time with a family member or those moments where someone else is holding your phone at the exact moment an extra special chat arrives. You can lock a chat by tapping the name of a one-to-one or group and selecting the lock option. To reveal these chats, slowly pull down on your inbox and enter your phone password or biometric,” WhatsApp states in it blog post. The feature has started rolling out.