In a move that will bring additional user privacy,
This is according to
To explain how the feature will work, the website put out this screenshot:
As seen above, the ability to lock private conversations will be available right inside the chat contact or group info. A conversation, after being added to the list of locked chats, will be available only within this screen.
To access it, a person will have to use the passcode or his/her fingerprint; this will make it next to impossible for someone else to open the chat. Additionally, if someone accesses your phone but fails to give the necessary authentication, they will be prompted to clear the chat history to open your device.
Further, this ability also ensures that media files such as videos and images, are not saved automatically in the phone gallery, when sent to a locked conversation.
As per WABetaInfo, the ability to lock chats was spotted in the