Option to set an alternative passcode ("double bottom") that either opens a limited set of chats, opens a different account, or destroys one of the connected accounts completely when entered.
Use cases
Could be used by political activists in opressive countries when they are required to unlock their chats.
Potential issues
If such an emergency passcode is set, the app won't be able to use your fingerprints or other biometric data to unlock chats. As a result, the absense of biometric unlock could be used a clear indicator that a person has something significant to hide – and it becomes impossible to prove this is not the case.
This might provide a false sense of security and might actually make the situation worse for an activist's or an innocent bystander.
Hey Roman, this proposal (Emergency passcode to hide chats #2775 , the one we are commenting on) it's way more extensive with the possibility to delete, hide, or destroy messages or accounts. It's not just a "parental control" but also in the main part a fundamental feature for political activists. But in any case yes, people have been waiting for this since 2019! Telegram, time to implement!
S∆EiĐ
We can still be able to use the fingerprint, but instead we can just make it point to the account that we want, we can make it so the actual account can be opened only using passcode... This eliminate the problem that you mentioned above... In short we need the ability to set different accounts/action to use only the passcode and one single account to use the fingerprint.
𝐿𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑥 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑟
it's already possible with third-party clients (like Telegraph)
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Paul
This is so strange that this feature is still not implemented! We need this feature! Please just implement this in a way it's done in Watsapp.
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Paul
I mean we need a "Locked chats" feature of Watsapp in Telegram. Pleease imeplement this!
Миша
Very good idea for Russia
A
Asif Mazin
biometric data to unlock issue can be solved by having one account as the default
Or by having one set of biometric data (say, the dominant hand’s thumb, so it looks natural) unlocking the “public“ chats and another set (like the other hand’s pinky finger) unlocking all the chats, including hidden ones.
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This eliminate the problem that you mentioned above...
In short we need the ability to set different accounts/action to use only the passcode and one single account to use the fingerprint.