WhatsApp rolled out the Chat Lock feature in May to let users lock their chats with their device password or biometric, like a fingerprint.
These locked chats are hidden behind a "Locked chats" folder that appears in the chat list.
Hence, WhatsApp has announced a new feature called Secret Code for Chat Lock to provide an additional layer of security and privacy to these locked chats.
With the Secret Code feature, you can now set a password different from your device password to hide the Locked chats folder from the chat list, and it can only be discovered by typing your secret code in the WhatsApp search bar.
You can use letters, numbers, special characters, and even an emoji to create a new secret code. And if you don't want to hide the Locked chats, you can still have them appear in your chat list.
WhatsApp also made locking a chat easier and more convenient since you can now lock a chat by long-pressing on it instead of going to the chat's settings.
The Secret Code feature has started rolling out and will be available globally to all users in the coming months.