How to lock WhatsApp Web with a password

WhatsApp Web stays signed in. Anyone who opens your browser and goes to web.whatsapp.com sees every chat, with no password asked. If you share a computer at home or at work, here are two free ways to put a password in front of it.

The short answer

• WhatsApp's own lock is built in. It locks WhatsApp Web after you've been away for a while, and covers WhatsApp only.
• Web Lock is a free browser extension. It asks for a password before WhatsApp Web opens at all, and the same password can protect Gmail, Messenger, your photos and any other site.

They do different jobs, and they work well together. Both are set up below.

Way 1: WhatsApp's own lock

1. Open web.whatsapp.com and wait for your chats to load.
2. Open Settings, then Privacy.
3. Choose App lock. Some versions call it Screen lock.
4. Turn it on and type a password of at least 6 characters.
5. Choose how long WhatsApp waits before it locks, such as 1 minute or 15 minutes.

From then on, WhatsApp Web asks for that password when it has sat unused for the time you chose.

What to know about it:

• It covers WhatsApp Web only. Your email, photos and other chats stay open.
• If you forget the password, the only way back in is to log out and link your phone again with the QR code.
• It's set for one browser at a time. A second browser or computer needs its own.

Way 2: Lock WhatsApp Web with Web Lock

Web Lock works like the app lock on your phone, for websites. You pick the sites, and each one shows a lock screen instead of loading until your password is entered.

1. Add Web Lock to Chrome. Setup starts as soon as it's installed.
2. Choose a password and give a recovery email when setup asks for them.
3. On the Pick sites to lock step, tick web.whatsapp.com. It's already in the list of suggestions.
4. Open web.whatsapp.com to try it. The lock screen comes up before any chat does.

Each setup step is explained in how to password protect any website.

Already have Web Lock? Click its icon next to the address bar, enter your password, open Locked sites and add web.whatsapp.com.

Stop typing it every time

On the lock screen, tick Keep open until I close the browser. WhatsApp Web then opens without asking until you quit the browser. Leave it unticked on a computer other people use while you're still signed in.

Two things to check

• Close the tab when you leave. The free version asks for the password when WhatsApp Web is opened. A tab you already unlocked stays open while you're away from the desk. This is where WhatsApp's own lock helps, because it locks an open tab after a few idle minutes. Web Lock Pro can also lock sites again when you step away.
• Incognito windows. Extensions are off in incognito until you allow them. WhatsApp Web isn't signed in there, so your chats aren't exposed, but for other locked sites open Web Lock's Browser Lock page and follow the steps under Incognito windows.

Which one should you use?

Use both if other people sit at your computer. Web Lock keeps WhatsApp Web from opening without your password, and puts the same lock on everything else you care about. WhatsApp's own lock catches the tab you forgot to close.

If you only ever worry about WhatsApp and nothing else, WhatsApp's own lock is enough. Most people who share a computer also have an inbox, a photo library or a bank they'd like kept private, and that's what Web Lock is for.

Questions people ask

Does WhatsApp Web have its own password lock?

Yes. In WhatsApp Web, open Settings, then Privacy, then App lock (some versions call it Screen lock). You set a password of at least 6 characters and choose how long WhatsApp waits before it locks.

Can someone read my messages behind the Web Lock screen?

No. WhatsApp Web doesn't load until the password is entered, so there are no chats behind the lock screen to see.

What if I forget my Web Lock password?

Web Lock emails a 6-digit code to the recovery email you gave during setup, and you set a new password. Your WhatsApp account isn't affected.

Does this work in Edge, Brave and Firefox?

Yes. Chrome, Edge, Brave and other Chromium browsers install Web Lock from the Chrome Web Store. Firefox installs it from Firefox Add-ons.

Does Web Lock lock the WhatsApp desktop app or my phone?

No. Web Lock is a browser extension, so it covers WhatsApp Web in the browser where you install it. For the desktop app and your phone, use WhatsApp's own app lock.