WhatsApp already allows you to protect, hide and block a chat with Face ID or Touch ID: more security for your chats.
WhatsApp has launched a very interesting function that allows us to block a specific chat or conversation in the app using Face ID or Touch ID. We could already block WhatsApp with Face ID for a long time, but this improvement adds another layer of security by being able to block a specific chat.
according to whatsapp statement, both on Android and iPhone, you can already activate this function to block chats. The objective is add an extra layer of privacy to specific chats. When you want to read or send messages in that chat, you’ll need to unlock it with device authentication, be it a passcode, Face ID, or fingerprint.
How to activate the blocking of chats in WhatsApp
Block, hide and protect a WhatsApp chat now it’s easier than ever, perfect if you don’t want anyone to ever see those conversations. All you have to do is follow these steps:
- Enter the chat info (by clicking on the name of the contact or chat)
- tap on chat lock.
- flip the switch Block this chat with Face ID.
This WhatsApp feature protects any chat with Face ID
WhatsApp chat now is locked and hiddenso we can only access entering the Blocked chats section. And to enter this section we must identify us with Face ID or Touch ID. You can reverse this block by following the same steps and turning off Block this chat with Face ID.
How to see blocked chats on WhatsApp
For see the chats that we have blocked, hidden and protected from WhatsApp We must enter the Blocked chats section. Here you will find all the chats that you have decided to protect with Face ID or Touch ID. Follow these steps:
- Enter the Chats tab and swipe down.
- Tap at the top of the folder blocked chats.
- identify with FaceID.
- tap the chat to view or send a message.
What exactly does WhatsApp chat lock do?
Blocking a WhatsApp chat with Face ID or Touch ID does more than meets the eyeit not only hides you from the chat list and protects you by biometrics, there is much more:
- Blocking a chat with Face ID will hide the contact and the content of the message in the notification, which will only say the following: WhatsApp: 1 new message.
- To maintain the privacy of media filesYou will have to unlock chat and save file in phone gallery.
- The group chats and muted ones can also be blocked.
- The calls will not be blocked. If you receive a call from an individual or group chat, it will still appear.
- If you block a chat on your phone, it will only be blocked on that phone. If you have other devices linked to WhatsApp, chats will not be blocked on them.
- If you use the backup and restore feature in WhatsApp, your locked chats will stay locked after the restore is finished on a new phone. To access your locked chats, you’ll first need to set up device authentication (fingerprint or Face ID).
- If you block a chat with Face ID, the person you are chatting with will not know that the conversation is protected.
- If you want to block an archived chat, you will have to unarchive it first and then block it.
This function will also prevent us from listening to WhatsApp audio without opening it on the iPhone and also from being able to reply to message from Apple Watchsince we must open WhatsApp to be able to read it.