How to Hide Chats on WhatsApp

Anyone who uses WhatsApp every day surely has dozens of chats open and conversations of all kinds. From those with colleagues to those with their partner, through group conversations with friends and those to organize a party. A huge cauldron within which, more and more often, there are also chats that would be better to hide.

Has it happened to you too? Then know that you are not the only one. There are dozens of reasons that could push a user to want to keep certain chats to themselves. Both removing notifications and removing them directly from the list of conversations on the main screen of the application.

If you want to clear up any doubts and discover all the methods currently available to do so, then read this guide regarding the most effective tools launched by Meta over the years. So you can better protect your privacy and keep prying eyes away from your chats.

How to Hide WhatsApp Chats

There are several tools launched over time that today guarantee practically total privacy protection on WhatsApp. And among these, there is no shortage of those to hide chats quickly and effectively.

And this is valid for both iOS smartphones and Android. But not only that, because – albeit in a limited way – the versions of WhatsApp Web and the client for Windows and macOS also offer some tools that could be useful to you.

From Android

If you have an Android smartphone, WhatsApp gives you the possibility of using four different solutions: archiving, padlock function, secret code and app lock. All equally useful and perfect for hiding one or more chats.

-Archive

To be able to archive a conversation, all you have to do is open the platform and tap on the Chat tab. At this point, choose the user you want to archive and hold on their box, then tap the icon with the downward arrow that pops up on the right. You can also select multiple chats at the same time by tapping and holding on a single one and then swiping your finger over all the others you want to archive.

Alternatively, you can also tap the three dots in the top right, choose the “Settings” item and then “Chat”. Here the “Chat history” option will appear, which you can click to finally choose “Archive all chats”. We remind you that these conversations will still be accessible by swiping your finger down and pressing on “Archived”.

-Lock feature

With the latest updates to the platform, the Chat with lock feature has been introduced on WhatsApp. This is an additional tool that allows you to open certain conversations only through biometric recognition.

To use it immediately, all you have to do is open the app and access the “Chat” section, where you can find the conversation you want to hide. At this point, press and hold on it and then tap on “More”. Of the available options, the one you are interested in is “Activate lock”. This way, the conversation will be automatically moved to a new section, available above the classic chats and possibly archived ones.

-Secret code

Linked to the Lock feature is the secret code, an extra tool to ensure greater protection of your WhatsApp chats. So as to hide them almost completely.

Once you have opened the app and followed the previous instructions to insert a conversation in the list with the padlock, you need to open the dedicated section and then press on the three dots in the top right.

So as to be able to choose the item “Chat lock settings” and finally “Create secret code”. It will then be possible to choose a code using the keypad, to remember and enter obligatorily to read protected conversations. To confirm the operation, all that remains is to tap on “Next” and then “End”.

-App lock

Finally, there is one last useful option, perhaps the most drastic, to hide conversations on WhatsApp: lock the app. So as to make it accessible only with biometric recognition.

How do you activate it? You need to open the app, tap the three dots icon in the top right and follow the path Settings > Privacy > App Lock > Unlock with biometric stroke. Once you do this, other secondary options will appear that could be useful to you.

For example Automatically lock, which reactivates the lock after a period of inactivity that can be selected between Immediately, After 1 minute and After 30 seconds. Finally, you can disable “Show notification content” to ensure that not even received message alerts are shown.

From iPhone

Even for iPhone, the features available to be able to hide a chat on WhatsApp are almost the same. And therefore archiving, the padlock function, the secret code and the app lock.

By making the most of FaceID, PINs and secret codes, you can be sure that no unwanted person will be able to read your most private chats. Here are all the steps you need to follow, in a few minutes you will have solved it and you will ensure a 100% complete privacy level.

-Archive

Let’s start with the possibility of archiving chats on WhatsApp for iOS, a very useful feature for moving certain conversations to a secondary section. In this case, what you need to do is open the application and access the chat section, to get started.

Choose the conversation you want to archive and swipe left, so that the “Archive” button appears. All you have to do is press it and everything will be activated. Alternatively, you can also press and hold on the individual chat and then, from the drop-down menu that appears, choose “Archive”.

Finally, there is also a way to archive all chats in a single tap. How? By tapping on “Settings” at the bottom right, clicking on “Chat” and finally choosing the options Archive all chats > Archive all. To access the section with hidden chats, you must press on the “Archived” list at the top of the list with all the conversations.

-Padlock function

It is also very useful to activate the Chat with padlock folder, so as to force biometric recognition to be able to read one or more conversations. A very useful feature that is already being used by millions of people, with a few basic steps to follow.

First, you need to open the application and move to the chats tab. After finding the one you are interested in, swipe left once again and press on “More”. Here you will see the option “Activate padlock”, which you can tap to generate the secret folder.

Alternatively, you can also hold down on the chat on which you want to set the padlock or open the conversation, tap the contact’s name in the top bar and then move the slider next to “Activate padlock” to ON.

To access the section, you need to scroll up on the main screen and then click on Chat with padlock. Your face will automatically be scanned with Face ID and, only once the recognition is complete, the list with all protected conversations will be displayed.

-Secret code

As previously explained for Android, also on iOS it is possible to make the Padlock mode even more secure by entering a secret code. Which is nothing more than a PIN that only you should know, to open one or more conversations to hide.

Do you want to activate it now? Then all you have to do is open the chat folder with a padlock, tap on Settings at the top right and then enable the “Create secret code” button. The keyboard interface will then appear, where you can type the sequence of numbers of your choice. Once the operation is complete, press Next at the top right, enter the PIN again and finally press “Done”.

-App lock

With the advent of iOS 18, the latest version of the system software for iPhone that Apple launched in September 2024, the app lock feature has finally been introduced. Which, like for Android, requires biometric recognition before opening. Why not use it on WhatsApp too, to hide everything?

The procedure to follow is quite simple. In fact, you need to search for the application icon on the Home screen or, alternatively, inside the App Library. At this point, press and hold on the app itself and a drop-down menu will open with various options available.

The one you are interested in is “Require Face ID” or “Require Touch ID”, depending on your iPhone model. With the first, an automatic face scan will occur every time you want to open the app, while the second requires reading the fingerprint.

From computer

Finally, there are two versions of WhatsApp for computers, namely the client for Windows/macOS and WhatsApp Web from the browser. Do you often use these programs and want to hide conversations here too? Then continue reading the guide and discover all the tools at your disposal to keep prying eyes away from your private chats.

-Archive

To be able to archive a chat on WhatsApp from PC, the procedure is practically identical whether you are using the service via app or browser. All you have to do is move the cursor on the chat you want to hide, click on the down arrow icon and finally choose the item “Archive Chat” from the menu.

You can also right-click on the chat you prefer to archive and finally choose “Archive Chat”. This will move the messages to a secondary section, which can be found by pressing on the box icon located in the left sidebar. In the Web version, you may also have the archived chats section at the top of the list, depending on the version available on your browser.

-Lock function

The Chat with lock function is also available on WhatsApp for PC, although with some limitations. In fact, if you want to create the section and set a secret code, you must first go to the smartphone app. Only once you have confirmed the changes will they also be available on your computer.

However, it is also possible to add new chats to the list of those with a lock. How? In the Search bar at the top, you need to search for the conversation you want to protect and then right-click on it. At this point, select the option “Activate lock” and then type the secret code (if you have activated it).

-App lock

Finally, there is also the possibility of using the App lock function, currently available only for WhatsApp Web. Once activated, if the screen lock function is active, you will need to enter a password to unlock the service. Also, notifications are not displayed if the site is in standby mode.

If you want to activate it immediately, then just open the browser version of WhatsApp, press the gear icon at the bottom left and follow the path Privacy > App lock. At this point, all you have to do is enter the password you want to set twice and then press “Ok”. You will be able to choose whether the lock is triggered after 1 minute, 15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours based on your preferences.

Original article published on Money.it Italy 2025-02-12 19:51:04. Original title: Come nascondere le chat su WhatsApp