WhatsApp is a popular chatting app that can be used by virtually anyone, anywhere. People often use it to have daily conversations with their friends and family about all kinds of things, all of which may include private and personal details that can’t be shared with other people.
WhatsApp is a highly trusted chatting app because it has end-to-end encryption, which ensures privacy between the two people having a conversation. However, encryption will be of no use if people can access your messages by physically accessing your phone and opening your conversations. However, you won’t have to worry about this anymore. We’ll be listing down five different ways to hide WhatsApp chat conversations without having to delete them.
Method 1: Archive WhatsApp Conversations on Android
The first method that you can try is archiving your chats. Doing this will allow you to temporarily hide your chat from the main conversation screen on WhatsApp. You can do this for both one-on-one conversations and for group chats. Here’s how to archive your conversations:
Archive individual chats
Step 1. In the chats screen, tap and hold the chat you would like to hide. You can also select multiple chats.
Step 2. Tap the archive icon, which appears at the top bar.
Archive all chats
Step 1. Tap the menu button. Then, go to Settings > Chats > Chat history.
Step 2. Tap ‘Archive all chats’ and click ‘Ok’.
If you want to access or unarchive your archived conversations, simply scroll to the bottom of your conversation list to find them.
Unarchive WhatsApp chats
You can restore any of your archived chats any time. To unarchive a chat,
Step 1. tap ‘Archived chats’ at the bottom.
Step 2. Long press on the chat that you wish to unarchive. Then, tap the Unarchive icon on the top bar.
Method 2: Hide WhatsApp Chats with Password Using ‘Locker for Whats Chat App’
Another way to secure chats that you don’t want other people to see is by using a locker app. This will add a password to your WhatsApp chats that only you can access. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1. Install the app from the Google Play Store and open it.
Step 2. Create a password for locking the chats.
Step 3. Add a recovery email address so that you can recover your password in case you forget it.
Step 4. Grant the accessibility permission.
Step 5. Tap the ‘+’ icon, and select the chats you want to hide with the password.
Now, your selected chats are password-protected. If you tap on those chats in WhatsApp, first, you need to enter the password to go to the conversations screen.
Method 3: Hide WhatsApp Chat using GBWhatsApp
If you’re willing to go a step further to protect your conversations, you can install GBWhatsApp. This app can be thought of as a modified version of WhatsApp that has additional features, including making your chats and conversations private.
Step 1. Install GBWhatsApp on your Android and log in with your WhatsApp account. (Sign in process is the same as the original WhatsApp).
Step 2. Now, long press the chat you want to hide. After selecting, tap the three-dot at the top-right side, and then, tap ‘Hide’ option.
Step 3. It will ask you to set a new pattern. Once you set up a pattern, immediately the chat will be hidden from the rest of the chat list.
Note: When a chat is hidden, if you search for the chat, it will not show up in the results.
In order to access the hidden chats,
Step 1. Go to the main chat screen, and tap ‘WhatsApp’ text at the top-left.
Step 2. Draw the pattern you’ve set previously. Now, you’ll be able to see the list of all hidden chats.
Step 3. Select the chats you want to unhide. On the top-right side, select ‘Mark chat as Visible’.
Method 4: Use App to Lock WhatsApp
There are other similar chat security apps on the Google PlayStore that can be used for WhatsApp, as well as other chat messaging platforms like Messenger, Telegram, and the like. These apps allow you to set up a PIN number or password to prevent strangers or intruders from accessing your messages. The app we’ll be talking about is ‘Messenger and Chat Lock,’ and it’s one of the best security apps you can use to protect your WhatsApp conversations. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1. Download and install the app from the Play Store. On opening, you will need to set a pin code which will be used in order to open WhatsApp.
Step 2. Now, a screen will appear with the list of apps that you can lock. Toggle the button to ‘On’ for WhatsApp.
Step 3. On the top of apps list, you can choose ‘Autolock Time’ to ‘Immediate’, ‘Shake to lock’ or set a time.
Method 5: Hide Whatsapp Chat Using Privacy Screen App
The final method to protecting your WhatsApp conversations is by using an app called Screen Guard: Privacy Screen. This app focuses on concealing chat previews and contact names from appearing on your main WhatsApp screen whenever you have it open. You can select which areas you want to add the protection screen on so that no one can read your conversations as they check our phone.
