The New Secret Code Function of WhatsApp Enables Password Protection for Private Conversations
WhatsApp Enables Password Protection for Private Conversations
A new Secret Code feature has been introduced by Meta-owned WhatsApp to enable users to encrypt sensitive conversations with a custom password on the messaging platform.
The function has been characterized as an “additional safeguard against discovering those conversations in the event that another person gains access to your device or you share a phone.”
Secret Code is an extension of a May WhatsApp announcement referred to as Chat Lock, which relocates conversations to a distinct folder and restricts access to the user’s device password or biometric information.
WhatsApp stated that by establishing a password for these locked conversations that differs from the password used to unlock the phone, an extra layer of privacy is intended to be provided to users.
“You’ll have the option to hide the Locked Chats folder from your chatlist so that they can only be discovered by typing your secret code in the search bar,” said the update.
The advancement occurred several weeks subsequent to the launch of WhatsApp’s “Protect IP Address in Calls” function, which obfuscates the IP addresses of recipients by routing the conversations through its servers.
Additionally, this follows directives from the French government that by December 8, 2023, ministers, secretaries of state, and cabinet members should abandon the use of widely used messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram in favor of domestic alternatives like Tchap (which is built upon the Matrix protocol) and Olvid.
The above news piece, which was initially published by Le Point, was referenced in the news article and stated: “These digital tools are not immune to security flaws and thus do not guarantee the confidentiality of information and conversations transmitted via them.”
Meredith Whittaker, the president of Signal, retaliated against the French government’s decision, stating, “This claim is dangerously misleading, especially coming from the government, and is not supported by any evidence.” The CEO of WhatsApp, Will Cathcart, agreed, stating, “We hold the same viewpoint.”
About The Author:
Yogesh Naager is a content marketer who specializes in the cybersecurity and B2B space. Besides writing for the News4Hackers blog, he’s also written for brands including CollegeDunia, Utsav Fashion, and NASSCOM. Naager entered the field of content in an unusual way. He began his career as an insurance sales executive, where he developed an interest in simplifying difficult concepts. He also combines this interest with a love of narrative, which makes him a good writer in the cybersecurity field. In the bottom line, he frequently writes for Craw Security.
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