WhatsApp introduced a new Chat Lock feature for Android and iOS users in May 2023. However, this feature was not made available for its Web client. Finally, after a long time, a fresh report says that the instant messaging network is working on adding the feature to WhatsApp Web. Earlier, it was announced that Web users would receive an updated sidebar. A leaked image of the Chat Lock feature shows a dedicated icon being placed in the redesigned sidebar.
According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is working on adding the Chat Lock feature to the web client, which will allow users to lock individual chats and place them behind an extra layer of security. This is useful if you don’t want people to know about a certain conversation or want to convey sensitive material.
The leaked image features a padlock icon beside the Archived Chats and Starred Messages icons. This has led to speculation that the locked messages will be stored in this tab, and that a second layer of security will be introduced to access the tab.
There are no reports on how this feature will function, thus no specifics are provided. However, the Android and iOS counterparts require passcode, fingerprint, and Face ID authentication to unlock the chats. Passwords or passkeys, a passwordless authentication method that allows users to log in using biometrics, can be used on the Web client.
Apart from that, WhatsApp Web is scheduled to receive a redesigned sidebar and a new colour scheme for the dark theme. According to an earlier source, the colour change was made to reduce eye strain in low-light conditions, and the new sidebar was added to achieve design balance across all of the company’s platforms.
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WhatsApp is also developing various new features for its mobile apps. WhatsApp is apparently working on introducing passkey functionality for iOS, like it has for Android. All iPhone models running iOS 17 are likely to allow third-party access to passkeys. This means that only iPhone XR or newer models running the iOS 17 upgrade will be able to activate passkeys in the WhatsApp app.
According to a separate report, Meta’s app for Android is working on a nearby file-sharing capability. This is supposed to function similarly to Android’s Quick Share (formerly called Nearby Share) feature. The WhatsApp function appears to allow users to make themselves visible to other nearby users while not giving their phone number to non-contacts. It is also expected to be end-to-end encrypted to ensure privacy.
