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WhatsApp Locked Chats: Complete Guide for iPhone, Android and WhatsApp Web
Updated: September 2026
WhatsApp’s Chat Lock lets you put selected conversations behind an extra layer of authentication. A locked conversation is removed from the normal inbox and placed in a separate Locked Chats folder. Its sender and message preview are also concealed in notifications, which appear only as “WhatsApp: 1 new message”. You can lock one-to-one conversations, groups and muted chats.
The feature is useful when you occasionally lend someone your phone, share a family tablet or leave WhatsApp Web open on a computer. However, it is important to understand what it does not do. Chat Lock does not block the other person, stop calls, prevent ordinary screenshots, erase messages or make WhatsApp’s existing encryption stronger. It mainly controls who can open a selected conversation on your devices.
Quick answer
- Android: Long-press a conversation, open the menu and choose Lock chat. Confirm using the phone’s fingerprint, face recognition or screen lock.
- iPhone: Press and hold the conversation, choose Lock Chat, then confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or the iPhone passcode.
- Secret Code: Create a separate word, phrase or code inside Locked Chats settings. This lets you hide the Locked Chats folder completely.
- WhatsApp Web: Supported web sessions can lock and unlock chats. A Secret Code must first be created on the primary Android phone or iPhone.
- Linked phones: Supported companion Android phones and iPhones also preserve the locked state, but opening locked chats on another device requires a Secret Code created on the primary phone.
- Mac: Chat Lock is not currently supported in the native WhatsApp for Mac app.
What is Chat Lock?
Chat Lock is a privacy feature for individual WhatsApp conversations. When enabled, it takes the selected thread out of the ordinary Chats list and moves it into a protected folder. To read old messages or send new ones from that thread, you must pass the authentication requested by WhatsApp.
On a primary phone, that authentication may be the device passcode, Face ID, Touch ID, an Android fingerprint or another device-authentication method supported by the phone. WhatsApp also offers a Secret Code that can be different from the passcode used to unlock the handset.
WhatsApp introduced Chat Lock in May 2023. Secret Code followed later, adding the ability to give locked conversations a separate credential and hide the folder from the main chat list. WhatsApp has since expanded support to certain linked Android and iPhone devices and WhatsApp Web.
What happens when a chat is locked?
The effects are designed to reduce accidental exposure rather than change how the conversation works for its participants.
- The conversation leaves the normal inbox and appears inside Locked Chats.
- Opening it requires device authentication or the Secret Code, depending on the device and configuration.
- Notifications conceal both the contact information and message content. The alert is shown generically as “WhatsApp: 1 new message”.
- The other person or group members are not told that you locked the chat.
- The conversation can continue receiving messages.
- Calls are not locked or blocked; a call from that person or group can still appear normally.
- Locked chats remain end-to-end encrypted, just like other personal WhatsApp conversations.
Locked chats close when the device itself is locked. That is useful on WhatsApp Web because returning to a locked computer should not leave a protected conversation standing open.
Chat Lock versus Secret Code
These two terms are connected, but they do not mean the same thing.
| Feature | What it does | What you use |
|---|---|---|
| Chat Lock | Moves selected chats into a protected folder and conceals notification previews | Device authentication or Secret Code |
| Secret Code | Adds a separate credential for locked chats and enables the folder to be hidden | A unique code, word or phrase created in WhatsApp |
| Hide Locked Chats | Removes the Locked Chats folder from the chat list | Enter the Secret Code into WhatsApp Search to reveal it |
Without the hide option, someone using your unlocked WhatsApp may see that a Locked Chats folder exists, although they should not be able to open it without authentication. With Hide Locked Chats switched on, the folder is absent from the list and appears only when the correct Secret Code is typed into Search.
How to lock a chat on Android
- Open WhatsApp and select the Chats tab.
- Press and hold the individual or group conversation you want to protect.
- Tap the menu or lock option shown at the top of the screen.
- Choose Lock chat.
- Confirm with the requested fingerprint, face unlock or phone screen lock.
You can use the same method for a normal one-to-one conversation, a group or a muted chat. If Android device authentication has not yet been configured, WhatsApp will ask you to set it up before the conversation can be locked.
Menu wording and placement can vary slightly with the WhatsApp version, handset manufacturer and language. The feature may be labelled Chat lock or a similar localised name in some regions.
Alternative Android route
On versions where the long-press option is not obvious, open the conversation, tap the contact or group name at the top and look for Chat lock in the information screen. Update WhatsApp through Google Play if the option is still missing.
How to find locked chats on Android
If the folder has not been hidden:
- Open the Chats tab.
- Pull down or scroll down on the chat list until Locked Chats appears.
- Tap the folder.
- Authenticate with the requested fingerprint or other device method.
- Tap a conversation to read or send messages.
If Hide Locked Chats is enabled, the folder will not appear no matter how far you scroll. Tap Search, enter the exact Secret Code and select Locked Chats when it appears.
How to unlock a chat on Android
- Open Locked Chats, either from the chat list or by entering your Secret Code into Search.
- Authenticate if requested.
- Press and hold the chat you want to return to the normal inbox.
- Open the menu and choose Unlock chat.
- Confirm using your device authentication.
Unlocking a conversation removes its extra Chat Lock protection. It does not delete the conversation, notify the other participants or block future messages.
How to lock a chat on iPhone
- Open WhatsApp and go to Chats.
- Press and hold the individual or group conversation.
- Choose Lock Chat from the menu.
- Approve the request with Face ID, Touch ID or the iPhone passcode.
As on Android, you can also open the conversation, tap the person or group name and use the Chat Lock option in the information screen where available. The feature supports one-to-one, group and muted conversations.
If WhatsApp cannot use Face ID or Touch ID, check that a passcode and biometrics are enabled in iOS and allowed for WhatsApp. Chat Lock needs device authentication to be configured before the first chat can be protected.
How to find locked chats on iPhone
- Open the Chats tab.
- Slowly pull down on the conversation list.
- Tap Locked Chats.
- Use Face ID, Touch ID, the device passcode or the requested Secret Code.
If you deliberately hid the folder, type the Secret Code into the Search field instead. The code is effectively the discovery mechanism: typing an ordinary contact name should not expose a hidden Locked Chats folder.
How to unlock a chat on iPhone
- Open the protected folder or reveal it through Search.
- Authenticate.
- Press and hold the conversation.
- Select Unlock Chat.
- Confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or the requested credential.
You can alternatively open the chat information screen and turn Chat Lock off. Once unlocked, the conversation returns to the ordinary chat list and normal notification behaviour may resume.
How to create a Secret Code
A Secret Code can be different from your phone passcode. It is particularly important if somebody else knows the device PIN, and it is required to open protected chats on supported linked devices and WhatsApp Web.
- Open WhatsApp on the primary Android phone or iPhone.
- Open the Locked Chats folder.
- Open Settings inside that folder.
- Tap Secret Code.
- Tap Create Secret Code.
- Enter the code and tap Next.
- Enter it again to confirm and tap Done.
Choose something that is memorable to you but difficult for anyone else to guess. Avoid the handset PIN, a child’s name, a partner’s name, a birthday or a code reused elsewhere. Remember that typing the code into the WhatsApp search box can expose it to anyone watching your screen or recording your keystrokes.
