WhatsApp doesn't have a default method of hiding conversations, so here are some simple "tricks" to make our chats disappear from prying eyes
That the issue of security and data protection is particularly close to the heart of WhatsApp users is a real understatement. The instant messaging app is used by more than 1.5 billion users to send messages of all kinds: from appointments to jokes, passing through much more important communications.
To be spied on by strangers, in short, could put at risk not only our personal data, but also information such as bank account or email account. And if end-to-end encryption protects us from possible interception attempts, either by hackers or police forces, protecting chats from the snoopers and snoopers around us (our relatives, our friends or our partner) is up to us. Fortunately, it doesn't take much to block access to the phone and thus prevent someone from spying on our chats and conversations.
How to hide WhatsApp chats on Android
The most effective method to hide WhatsApp chats on Android is to set an unlock code for the device. To lock the Android smartphone we could use a sequence, a numeric PIN or set up biometric unlocking with fingerprint sensor or facial recognition.
In case you want to add an extra layer of security, you can download an app to lock apps and protect them with a second passcode. These apps, usually made by developers active in the field of cybersecurity, allow you to improve the privacy of your device in just a few taps: once you've installed the app that blocks apps, you'll just have to set a blocking method and choose which apps to protect.
How to hide WhatsApp chats on iPhone
On iPhone, protecting our WhatsApp conversations is less simple, because Apple doesn't allow third-party apps to put a password on apps already installed on the device. To do this we'll have to jailbreak the phone and then install an unofficial app. In short, not exactly a piece of cake if we don't have specific skills.
An alternative to hide WhatsApp chat on iPhone could be to archive the conversation: just hold down on a conversation and from the popup menu tap on Archive. An archived chat disappears from the WhatsApp home, but as soon as one of the chat components sends a message it will reappear along with all the others.
The decision, perhaps more drastic but certainly more effective, is to block access to all applications downloaded to the iPhone. It's a bit annoying, because it will require you to disable and re-enable the block every time from the phone's Settings, but it's certainly effective.
From Settings we access General and then Restrictions. Here we look for Enable Restrictions, set a PIN to our liking and put a check mark under Do not allow applications. In this way all applications downloaded from the App Store will become inaccessible, even for us. To read WhatsApp messages on iPhone we should do the reverse route: go back to Restrictions and disable them, confirming the choice with the PIN. So the apps and our WhatsApp chats will be accessible again.