Daily use of WhatsApp often involves the need to manage numerous conversations that you prefer to keep confidential.
From this perspective, knowing hide WhatsApp chats and messages without deleting them becomes essential to protect your privacy and prevent prying eyes. Let’s discover together the updated features, available for all the main operating systems, including desktop versions.
WhatsApp, while not currently offering the ability to hide individual messages within a conversation, does allow you to archive entire chats or to use advanced tools such as chat lock to protect them via biometric authentication. These options are available on both Android what up iOSas well as on the web and desktop versions, ensuring effective and customizable protection.
Hide chats and messages on Android
Android users can take advantage of four different solutions to keep chats private:
- Chat archiving: just open WhatsApp, press and hold on the conversation you want to hide and select the down arrow icon to archive it. Archived chats do not appear in the main list, but remain accessible in the “Archived” section. You can archive multiple conversations at once or all chats via Settings > Chats > Chat History.
- Chat lock function: introduced with recent updates, this function allows you to protect certain chats via biometric recognition (fingerprint or facial recognition). To activate it, select the chat, hold down and choose “Activate padlock”. Protected chats are moved to a dedicated section, visible only after authentication.
- Secret code: Connected to the chat lock, allows you to set an additional numeric code for a higher level of security. It is created from the “Chat lock settings” section and is used to access protected conversations.
- WhatsApp app crash: For total security, you can lock the entire app with biometric recognition. Activation takes place from Settings > Privacy > App lock, with options to block immediately or after a period of time and to hide the contents of notifications.
The features on iOS are very similar and take full advantage of Apple technologies like Face ID and Touch ID for protection:
- Chat archiving: you can archive a chat by swiping to the left and selecting “Archive”. Even on iPhone you can archive all chats from Settings > Chats > Archive all chats. Archived chats remain invisible in the main list but accessible in the “Archived” section.
- Chat lock: can be activated by swiping left on the chat and selecting “More” > “Activate padlock”, or by holding down the chat and activating the function from the menu. Locked chats are only accessible via Face ID or Touch ID, and their list can be hidden behind a secret code.
- Secret code: Like on Android, this feature adds a PIN to further secure padlocked chats. It is created from the settings of the chat lock section.
- App crash with iOS 18: With the latest version of iOS, released in September 2024 and now widely deployed, it is possible to lock individual apps, including WhatsApp, by requiring Face ID or Touch ID for access. This feature is activated by pressing and holding the app icon in Home and selecting “Require Face ID” or “Require Touch ID”.
Manage privacy also on WhatsApp Web and desktop
The versions of WhatsApp Web and the client for Windows e macOS allow you to hide chats by archiving, following simple steps: just right-click on the chat and choose “Archive chat”. Archived chats can be found in the “Archived” section.
You can also add new chats to the lock function only after you have protected them on your smartphone. As regards app blocking, a function is available on WhatsApp Web that requires the entry of a password after a certain amount of time of inactivity, which can be activated from Settings > Privacy > App blocking.
