WhatsApp Beta hints at Chat Lock for linked devices

Damien Wilde | Apr 2 2024 - 2:15 am PT

According to the latest beta, WhatsApp could soon offer enhanced Chat Lock when using the linked devices feature.

Introduced back in May 2023, the Chat Lock feature has been a great tool for increasing the privacy of your messages, group chats, and more. However, this feature breaks when using the Linked Devices feature, which was added just a month before the lock functionality was added.

Currently, when you enable the locked chat feature, the chat in question will live within a dedicated “Locked chats” panel above the regular app view. On a linked device, this change does not transfer. Instead, the same chat will be visible like a regular conversation/chat.

Findings from WABetaInfo indicate that Meta is working on adding or enhancing the Chat Lock experience when using a companion or linked device. In the latest WhatsApp Beta v.2.24.8.4, there’s evidence of a code-based lock that can be used to unlock a chat on the paired phone.

A “secret code” will open locked chats on your linked phone. This code is added from your primary phone within the Chat lock settings section. It’s likely that this is a way to ensure that alternate credentials like a device PIN, fingerprint, or Face Unlock data can’t be used on a secondary device. A dedicated code would be the most secure as biometric data can be changed on the companion device and remove on of the most absurd privacy issues with Chat Lock when using WhatsApp on linked devices.

This function is still under development and, as is often the case, it could be months before we see a working version in beta or stable WhatsApp builds.