In this step-by-step tutorial, we show you how to secure your WhatsApp chats on your Mac or Windows PC by setting up a password lock.

If you use WhatsApp on your computer and leave it unlocked or share it with others, you’ll be happy to know that WhatsApp Web now supports a native app lock. As a result, you don’t have to install obscure browser extensions to lock it or log out and log back in regularly.

Plus, this WhatsApp Web app lock is different from the app lock or the incredibly useful chat lock in the WhatsApp app on your iPhone or Android phone.

1) Visit web.whatsapp.com and log in if you’re not already.

2) Click your profile photo in the bottom left corner of the screen.

3) Click Privacy.

4) Select the new App Lock option.

5) Enable app lock.

6) Set a password that’s 6 to 128 characters long, and click OK.

7) Once you have set a lock, click Done to close this popup and continue using WhatsApp Web. Or, click Lock Now to check the lock, and then enter the passcode you just set to get inside.

8) By default, WhatsApp Web will lock automatically after 15 minutes. But you can change it to just one minute, one hour, or eight hours. You can also lock it manually, as mentioned below.

As mentioned in step 8 above, WhatsApp Web will automatically lock after a set period. But you can also lock it manually at any time by clicking the three-dot menu icon at the top and selecting ‘Lock app.’

In this case, just log out of WhatsApp Web by clicking the Log Out button. Then, sign in to WhatsApp Web again on your computer using your iPhone or Android phone, and set up a new WhatsApp Web passcode.

As of the time of writing this, you can lock WhatsApp Web in Google Chrome, Safari, and other web browsers. However, you can’t set up a lock to secure the WhatsApp app downloaded from the Mac App Store or directly from WhatsApp.

However, the Telegram app does offer a way to lock its Mac app.

WhatsApp Web app lock is great. But if other people, like your family members, roommates, or office colleagues, also use your Mac, it’s best to create user accounts for them to keep not only your WhatsApp but also everything else separate, safe, and private.

More on WhatsApp:

• How to subscribe to WhatsApp Plus on iPhone or Android
• How to set your WhatsApp username on iPhone and Android
• How to use WhatsApp in your car with CarPlay