{"id":510478,"date":"2023-10-06T12:22:50","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T10:22:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=510478"},"modified":"2023-10-06T12:38:50","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T10:38:50","slug":"whatsapp-adding-secret-code-feature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/software\/510478-whatsapp-adding-secret-code-feature.html","title":{"rendered":"WhatsApp adding secret code feature"},"content":{"rendered":"

WhatsApp is developing a feature that will allow users to protect their locked chats with a custom password, WABetaInfo reports<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The publication spotted a “Secret code” option in the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.21.8 update.<\/p>\n

Turning this setting on will reportedly let users create their own password for accessing locked chats instead of their phone’s PIN or biometric authentication.<\/p>\n

WhatsApp launched the “Chat Lock” feature<\/strong><\/a> in May 2023 to provide an additional layer of protection for users’ sensitive chats.<\/p>\n

It also hides notifications for messages and media shared in those discussions.<\/p>\n

At the launch of Chat Lock, WhatsApp said that it was adding more options for the feature “over the next few months”, including the ability to create a custom password to access the locked chats folder and locking for companion devices.<\/p>\n

Having two different authentication systems for a user’s phone and locked chats will give users more advanced control over what someone close to them can access on their device.<\/p>\n

It could also enhance security against malicious users who learn the user’s device PIN.<\/p>\n

It is unclear when WhatsApp plans to make the Secret Code feature available to beta users, who are generally the first to test new functions before a general rollout.<\/p>\n

The screenshot below shows the unactivated Secret Code feature in the latest WhatsApp Android beta.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Secret code setting in the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.21.8 update. Credit: WABetaInfo (Click to enlarge)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Now read: WhatsApp getting built-in VPN protection for calls<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The feature will enhance the security of WhatsApp’s “Chat Lock”, launched earlier this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":341042,"featured_media":510500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,16],"tags":[35,2594,86351],"class_list":["post-510478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-security","category-software","tag-headline","tag-whatsapp","tag-whatsapp-chat-lock"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510478"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/341042"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=510478"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":510532,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510478\/revisions\/510532"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/510500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=510478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=510478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=510478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}