Free extension for Chrome
Blur names and chats on screen and protect the chats your phone shouldn't read: there, each message shows up only as “Protected message”. Free, with no account and no server.
The extension’s interface is in Portuguese for now.
The test results came in: all good 🙂10:31
What a relief! Thanks for letting me know.10:32
I’ll tell you the rest later.10:32
On the computer, with ZapZen
Protected message10:31
Protected message10:32
Protected message10:32
On the phone
Privacy in two layers
Blurring protects the screen. Protecting the chat protects what is outside the computer: it can only be read on computers with ZapZen.
01
On screen
Names, photos and messages stay blurred, and only what you point at shows. To share your screen in a meeting, presentation mode blurs everything at once; and Disguise swaps photos and names for initials. Turn it on and off to see.
02
Protected chat experimental
In the chat's ⋮ menu, “Proteger conversa…” (Protect chat). If the other person also has ZapZen, the two of you agree on a key on your own; on the computer you chat normally, and on the phone, in backups and in notifications, each message shows up only as “Protected message”. Whoever doesn't have ZapZen yet gets an invitation with this page's address.
Protects from
Doesn't protect from
No voice messages
When someone starts recording for you, or as soon as the voice message arrives, ZapZen replies on its own that you don’t listen to voice messages, with your text. And the voice messages that arrive stay hidden until you want to hear them.
Only if you turn it on. On the phone, voice messages keep arriving as usual; ZapZen acts on the computer.
Let me explain by voice, it’s quicker10:40
🔇 Automatic notice: this contact chose not to receive voice messages. If you send audio, it won’t be heard. Could you write it instead? Thanks!10:41sent on its own
Voice message hidden · Show10:42
Colored messages
Select part of the text in the field and pick: color, highlighter or underline. Anyone who also has ZapZen sees the colors; everyone else reads plain text.
With ZapZen
Deadline confirmed: 15 calendar days from the signature. No penalty until then!10:38
Without ZapZen
Deadline confirmed: 15 calendar days from the signature. No penalty until then!10:38
The platform
The panel
Privacy, Vault, Messages, Contacts, Notices, Audio, Automatic, Appearance and Data. It opens in the left column, in your WhatsApp's light or dark theme, and disappears when you close it.
Contacts
Colored labels in the list and at the top of the chat: New, Negotiating, Paid, After-sales, or your own. Nicknames and photos only for you, and reminders linked to the chat.
Vault
Lock the chats no one else should see on this computer: they stay blurred in the list and only open with the password.
ZapZen reads what is on the screen, as you do, and keeps your choices in your Chrome. What you send goes only to whom you chose, through WhatsApp itself.
Read the privacy policyQuestions
Yes. Everything is open, with no paid plan and no ads.
Someone wants to chat with you without the phone being able to read it. Install ZapZen in Chrome on your computer (the button at the top of this page), open WhatsApp Web and the chat with whoever asked: you'll see that they want to protect the chat, with a button to see and accept. Once you accept, both ZapZens agree on the key on their own; from then on the messages are read on the computer, and on the phone they show up only as “Protected message”.
It protects from what is outside the computer: whoever picks up the phone, backups and notifications. Each message is encrypted (AES-GCM) with a key only the two computers agreed on, and whoever doesn't have the key can't change it, replay messages or turn the protection off without it showing. Check the security code by phone. It does not hide from WhatsApp Web itself on the computer, where the text passes. It is experimental: use it for what you don't want on your phone, not as a bank vault.
Because only ZapZen, on the computer, has the keys to open it. WhatsApp on the phone receives the encrypted message and shows just the notice.
On the computer, yes: incoming voice messages stay hidden (one click shows them) and, if you turn it on, whoever records for you gets your notice that you don’t listen to voice messages, once every 24 hours per person. With WhatsApp Web in view, the notice goes out while they record; with the window minimized, as soon as the voice message arrives. On the phone nothing changes: voice messages arrive as usual.
No. ZapZen is a Chrome extension and works on WhatsApp Web, on the computer. What you set up changes nothing on your phone or for other people.
ZapZen does not swap WhatsApp’s internal functions: it only reads and adjusts what appears on the screen, and automatic sending has a daily cap and only happens if you turn it on. Still, we are not WhatsApp and there is no guarantee.
On your computer. Preferences follow your Chrome account if sync is on; everything else stays on this computer and goes away if you uninstall. The privacy policy explains it all.
No. ZapZen is made by Codexsteel and is not a WhatsApp or Meta product. WhatsApp is a trademark of WhatsApp LLC.
Install it in one click and turn on only what makes sense for you.