Some people care more about their conversation privacy than others, and with that in mind, it’s particularly surprising that Apple and other third-party app developers haven’t integrated more conversation-centric privacy features into their messaging apps out of the box.

Fortunately, jailbreakers have a lot more flexibility in this department, as a newly-released jailbreak tweak called ChatLock by iOS developer Elias Sfeir lets you lock individual conversations in several popular messaging apps, including Apple’s Messages app, Twitter, and WhatsApp, to name a few.

The screenshot examples above, taken from Apple’s Messages app, depict a new option when swiping on individual conversations. Unlocked conversations display the ‘Lock’ option, while locked conversations display the ‘Unlock’ option. As you might come to expect, locking a conversation requires Face ID or Touch ID authentication to obtain access.

Those interested in seeing how the tweak works can watch the developer’s demonstration video below:

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After you install ChatLock, you’ll find a dedicated preference pane in the Settings app where you can configure the tweak to your liking:

Here, you can:

  • Force a front-facing camera picture on a wrong authentication attempt
  • Configure settings for iMessage SMS:
    • Enable or disable Face ID or Touch ID authentication
    • Choose a backup password in case biometrics fail
  • Configure settings for Twitter direct messages:
    • Enable or disable Face ID or Touch ID authentication
    • Choose a backup password in case biometrics fail
  • Configure settings for WhatsApp Messenger:
    • Enable or disable Face ID or Touch ID authentication
    • Choose a backup password in case biometrics fail

The developer provides an Apply button that you should use any time you make changes to the tweak’s preference pane. This is necessary for appending your changes and ensuring they take effect.

While a standard device passcode can protect most of your information from prying eyes, that isn’t the case when you hand your unlocked handset to another person. ChatLock serves as an additional layer of protection, keeping your private conversations private and preventing snooping by unwanted eyes.

If you’re interested in trying ChatLock, then you can download it from Cydia’s BigBoss repository. Although the tweak is free, you’ll need to activate your license for $1.99 from the tweak’s preference pane after installation.

ChatLock supports all jailbroken iOS 10, 11, and 12 devices, and it’s worth noting that the developer will soon add support for more messaging apps.

Do you see a need to protect your individual conversations from prying eyes? Discuss in the comments section below.