WhatsApp Adds New Security Layers With The Secret Codes

Date: December 01, 2023

WhatsApp has rolled out a new privacy feature that further hides the locked chats. Check out how the Secret Codes feature works.

WhatsApp has brought multiple game changers in the last year, especially in the aspects of privacy. Earlier, the social media and messaging platform rolled out locked chats that added a great layer of privacy to hide sensitive information and conversations. These locked chats are also end-to-end encrypted and do not give the right to access even the platform. 

Now, the tech giant has rolled out another layer of privacy that goes two steps ahead in hiding sensitive conversations. It’s called the Secret Codes. Users can now create a secret code that hides all conversations and media even from the locked folder. The secret code is one-of-a-kind and can be created using text, numbers, emojis, and special characters. 

The process of accessing the hidden chats by the secret code is quite easy. Simply go to the search bar in the chats and type the secret code. Then, hit send, and the hidden chats locked folder will appear. This method effectively shows the locked folder or even lets anyone know they have one. 

“Rolling out secret code to Chat Lock on WhatsApp so you can protect your chats with a unique password,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced today on his WhatsApp Channel. “Now you can set your locked chats to only appear when you type the secret code in the search bar, so no one can ‘unintentionally’ discover your most private conversations.”

It is important to note that you don’t need a secret code to have a locked chat folder. The pin of the locked chat folder is separate from the secret code. The secret codes feature only reveals the locked folder and requires a password to access it. The best part about the locked folder is that it integrates with your phone’s default security system and enables you to unlock it using a Password, Pin, or Face ID. 

Last week, WhatsApp rolled out a new voice chat feature similar to that of Discord. The new feature is supposed to allow people to have less disruptive voice conversations than a call. Voice chats start silently without the involvement of ringing or in-chat bubbles to join in. The way WhatsApp is updating its platform with the latest features, it may not lose its leadership stance in social media messaging anytime soon.