How to put password to WhatsApp

WhatsApp is the most used instant messaging application in the world. Much of our life is recorded in it, in our conversations and chat groups. Lots of private information that we certainly want to protect. Is there a way to do it? The answer is yes. We explain how to put password to WhatsApp.

More than one billion monthly active users are the best proof of the incredible success of WhatsApp. This application improves day by day with new e interesting possibilities. Over time the classic options for chat, audio, voice and video calls have been added to share documents of all kinds, GIFs, location, etc.

Related article:

The definitive guide to WhatsApp Web to get the most out of it

However, until relatively recently there was no way of safeguard all that information using password, PIN or similar. This posed an obvious risk to users, leaving them unprotected against intrusions by unauthorized users. By simply accessing our mobile phone, anyone with a vocation as a spy or gossip could read our chats, see our photos and videos, and even know our contacts.

Fortunately, today we have good solutions to this problem. Not only from the application itself, but also through external resources that offer adequate alternatives to fill these gaps. Here are some answers to the question of how to set a password to WhatsApp:

Set password from the application itself

In the 2019 update, an additional level of security has already been added to private WhatsApp conversations. It included, for example, a new function that allows users to add a PIN, fingerprint or facial identification lock to protect the contents of the application.

The truth is that with each new update WhatsApp is improving this and other features of the application. At this time these are the options that users have to ensure the privacy of their contacts and conversations:

Conversation archive

Concerns about the privacy of our WhatsApp chats may be limited to just certain contacts or specific conversations. In this case, there is an option within the application that helps us to hide this information of other people's glances without having to resort to passwords.

It is not a definitive or infallible system if what we want is a total guarantee of privacy, but it can be quite practical as a first level of security. This is how you can hide or archive WhatsApp conversations. It also serves to hide contacts:

• On Android: we simply select the conversation or conversations that we want to hide and use the "archive" option, which appears in the menu with an icon in the form of a folder. To retrieve these conversations later, we can go at any time to the "archived chats" folder.
• On iOS / iPhone: first we look for the conversation that we want to hide. Moving it to the left the menu will appear with the option "archive". When selected, it will be automatically archived, saved in the «archived chats» folder, but always available again using the «unarchive» option.

It should be noted in any case this option should be used only occasionally. Otherwise, abusing it runs the risk of overloading the storage space of the mobile, which will naturally affect its correct operation.

Screen lock function

This function is available on iOS and Android devices. It must be activated from the application configuration options. It is a good system to keep your content away from prying eyes.

To activate the new function, follow these steps:

1. First, it is necessary download the latest version of WhatsApp through the App Store or Google Play. This is version 2.19.21.
2. Once the update is downloaded, you have to open the setup menu, whose structure may vary slightly depending on the system.
3. In the menu, press the option "bill", where we will find a list with numerous options. The one that refers to security and privacy is marked with the icon of a small key.
4. Within the new menu that opens below you must select the option "Privacy", which in turn will show us multiple options available regarding account security, such as hiding the profile photo.
5. The option that we must select is that of "screen lock", which allows us to choose the unlock mode and the time that must pass for it to be activated automatically.

Once we have activated the screen lock, we can only open our WhatsApp with Face ID, Touch ID (these two only on iOS), fingerprint or password. What we have previously decided.

Two step verification

Recently WhatsApp has also implemented the two step verification, an optional feature designed to further enhance the security of user accounts, both on Android and iPhone.

Once this protection system is enabled, the user will have to verify their phone number on WhatsApp through a 6-digit password. The second level of security consists of a confirmation message that will arrive by email.

How to put password to WhatsApp in this way? This is what needs to be done:

1. Click the button menu (the 3-dot icon in the upper right corner of WhatsApp) and choose the option "setting".
2. Then click "bill" and choose the option "Two-step verification".
3. Finally press the button "enable" and enter a password of your choice. Optionally, a recovery email address can also be entered for your account.

This entire process is explained more visually in the following video:

Set password with external applications

Before these application improvements in terms of security existed, many users resorted to external applications due to the problem of how to set a password to WhatsApp. Even today there are many who trust them more than the alternative within the system itself, especially because they offer some Additional functions. These are the most reliable:

AppLock

This application will not only be practical for us to protect our WhatsApp chats, but also to protect access to any application on our mobile.

During the AppLock installation process, we can choose which applications we want to password protect and even select a different one for each of them. It is only available for Android.

Download link: AppLock

ChatLock +

With ChatLock +In addition to being able to block access to WhatsApp by means of a PIN, we will have a very curious and really interesting function: knowing who is trying to access our chat messages without permission.

How is this possible? Here comes the awesomeness of ChatLock +: the app use the phone's front camera discreetly and silently, capturing the image of the person who is trying to unblock WhatsApp. The spy will be "hunted" red-handed. Without a doubt, this is a very sibylline option that WhatsApp password systems do not offer.

Download link: ChatLock +

1Password

For users of iPhone, this is a magnificent password manager that allows us to safely store our information through a master password. A single password to control everything.

In addition to solving the question of how to put password to WhatsApp, 1Password allows its users to also manage passwords and access data for logins, credit cards, documents, WiFi passwords, software licenses, etc. Everything under control and safe.

Of course, unlike these applications, this one is paid. It offers a free 30-day trial version and then you have to pay a monthly fee of about 2-3 euros (the price is not exact, as it is calculated in dollars).

Download link: 1Password

CM Security AppLock

Valid for both Android and iOS, CM Security AppLock It is considered one of the best applications of its kind. Its great advantage is that, beyond providing a security system to your device, it also has a built-in antivirus.

Once the application is installed, we can easily set all the protection settings for messages, notifications, downloads, etc.

Download link: CM Security Applock

Advice if you use WhatsApp on your computer: close all sessions

Finally, a final recommendation regarding security: If we are using WhatsApp on a computer and we do not plan to use it again, it is prudent close all sessions that we have opened. Thus, we will close any unauthorized access to our account by any person who may have had access to our mobile without our consent.

How to close all sessions? Very simple: we access the section Web WhatsApp and in the option «Sessions» We will delete all those that we are not going to use again. And when in doubt, better delete them all.