Chat lock
WhatsApp’s most innovative and marquee privacy feature of 2023 that directly competed with Telegram’s feature secret chat.
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Content positioning, naming, localization and full end-to-end flows for V1-V3 projects as the lead content designer.
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V1: iOS/Android features launched in 2023. Iterations over the next year added V2-V3, which expanded feature to linked devices and improved security updates.
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Working on a project that allows users ultimate chat privacy when having to share their phones.
Chat lock: A new privacy feature that lets users hide and lock their most personal chats from anyone with physical access to their phone.
Why did we need this feature?
A significant portion of global WhatsApp users share their phone with household members like spouses, children and parents. This compromised the privacy of their most personal chats.
WhatsApp leads wanted to create a privacy-forward feature that would feel new and exciting for the app. In 2022, leads also wanted a feature that could directly compete with Telegram’s secret chats. The company’s goals were to focus on a privacy-forward feature that would help it stay competitive and innovative in a time when competitors were gaining traction.
My scope
End-to-end product flows on consumer app and linked devices
Naming and positioning the feature
See case study
Follow up feature: Secret code
Privacy settings
Error handling, notifications
Terminology and standards
Supporting multiple rounds of UXR, competitive research and help center organization
Localization
My role:
I led all content positioning, flows and end-to-end strategy for chat lock V1-V3. I worked with multiple designers over 2 years to iterate and expand the security of this feature.
I highlighted the naming process in my Button Talk in 2024!
Results:
-Feature grew from tens of millions to nearly a hundred million daily active users within one year. In 2026, over 200M+ users use this feature monthly.
-Substantial lift in feature adoption and engagement after content updates shipped.
-Resolved the top user support issue by adding alternative setup paths.
