Social Media · iPhone
How to Lock Chats on WhatsApp with Face ID
Source-checked About 10 minutes
Answer
Open the WhatsApp chat, select the contact or group name at the top, choose Chat lock, turn on Lock this chat with Face ID, and authenticate. The conversation moves to Locked chats and its notification details are hidden; this locks that chat, not the whole WhatsApp app.
Open the conversation to protect
Open WhatsApp on the iPhone that has Face ID configured, select Chats, and open the individual or group conversation. Check the name at the top so you do not lock the wrong chat.
Open Chat lock
Select the contact or group name at the top to open its information page, then select Chat lock. You should see the control for locking this conversation with Face ID.
Turn on Face ID protection
Turn on Lock this chat with Face ID and authenticate when iOS prompts. WhatsApp should confirm the lock and move the conversation out of the normal chat list.
Open the locked conversation
Return to Chats and slowly pull down on the inbox to reveal Locked chats. Select it and authenticate with Face ID; the protected conversation should appear inside that folder.
Verify notification privacy
Have the test contact send a harmless message while WhatsApp is closed. Confirm the notification does not reveal the locked chat's sender or message content, then open Locked chats with Face ID.
Remove the chat lock when needed
Open the conversation from Locked chats, select its name, then choose Chat lock and turn the lock off. Authenticate once more and confirm the conversation returns to the normal Chats list.
Video walkthrough
If it does not work
- If Chat lock is missing, confirm you opened the conversation's contact or group information rather than WhatsApp Settings, then compare the installed app with WhatsApp's current Help Center instructions.
- If Face ID does not authenticate, confirm Face ID works at the iPhone lock screen before changing WhatsApp settings; use the device authentication option WhatsApp presents rather than repeatedly toggling the chat lock.
- If you cannot see Locked chats, start on the main Chats list and pull down slowly from the top of the inbox, then authenticate when the folder appears.
Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: iPhone.
WhatsApp documents locking an individual or group chat with the device password or biometric, moving it to Locked chats, and hiding its notification details.