LINE is a popular messaging app used by over 600 million people worldwide. It allows you to easily chat with friends and family, share photos and videos, make voice and video calls, and more.
However, you may sometimes want to hide certain LINE chats from view for privacy reasons. Here are some ways to hide chats in LINE:
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Use Hidden Chat Feature
LINE has a “Hidden Chat” feature that allows you to set a time limit on messages before they are automatically deleted. Here’s how to use it:
- Open the LINE chat with the person you want to have a hidden chat with
- Tap the profile icon in the top right and select “Hidden Chat”
- Set a time limit for the messages to exist – you can choose anywhere from 2 seconds to 1 week
- Chat normally – when the time limit is reached, the messages will be automatically deleted
This is an easy way to have private, ephemeral conversations that vanish after a set period of time. Both parties need to have the latest version of LINE installed for it to work properly.
Hide Individual Chats
You can hide chats with specific LINE friends so they no longer show up in your main friends tab:
- Go to your Friends tab
- Swipe left on the chat you want to hide
- Tap “Hide” to confirm
The chat will now only be accessible from the Hidden Chats tab in your settings. You can still receive messages from hidden chats, but they won’t be visible in your main view.
Disable Showing Online Status
Another LINE privacy setting to enable is hiding your online status from friends. To do this:
- Go to Settings
- Tap Privacy
- Turn off “Show online status”
Now your friends won’t be able to see when you were last active on LINE. You can also disable read receipts in your chat settings.
Use Other Secure Messaging Apps
If LINE’s privacy controls aren’t enough, consider switching to apps like Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp that offer end-to-end encryption. This prevents anyone, including the app developers, from accessing your chat content.
These apps also have features like disappearing messages. Just keep in mind that all participants need to be using the same app in order for encryption to work properly.
Be Cautious of Screenshots
One privacy issue to keep in mind with any messaging app is screenshots. Even if you use disappearing chats, the recipient can still take a screenshot before the message vanishes.
There’s no foolproof way to prevent this, so avoid sending compromising media or information if you’re concerned about screenshots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hide chats from specific friends on LINE?
Yes, LINE allows you to hide chats from certain friends so they do not appear in your main friends tab. The hidden chat still exists and you can access it any time from your settings.
Do both people need to have hidden chat enabled?
For LINE’s hidden chat feature with disappearing messages to work properly, both you and the recipient must have the latest version of LINE installed.
Can someone tell if I’ve hidden their chat?
No. Hiding a chat only affects your view of the conversation. The other person has no indication that you’ve hidden their chat. You can still receive messages normally.
What happens when I hide or delete chats?
Hidden and deleted chats are removed from your friends tab and chat history. However, any external screenshots or backups your friend may have are unaffected. So hiding chats does not necessarily guarantee they are confidential.
Are there any risks or downsides to hiding chats?
Apart from the screenshot issue, there aren’t really major risks to hiding conversations. Just keep in mind that hiding too many chats can make LINE more complicated and confusing to use on a daily basis.
Hiding chats you truly want to keep private can be a smart move. But for casual conversations, leaving them visible is usually fine for convenience.
In Summary
LINE provides a few useful ways to hide your chats from view and increase your messaging privacy. These include the hidden chat feature, hiding chats with specific friends, disabling online status, and using external secure messaging apps.
However, there are still limitations around screenshots and backups. While hiding chats helps, truly sensitive conversations may require meeting in person or using an app dedicated to encryption and privacy.
