WhatsApp has various options that will help keep your information safe, without having to install another app.
Manage Who Can See Your Profile Picture, About, and Status Content
When you first set up your WhatsApp account, you probably set it up in a way that reflects who you are. The problem with that is that strangers may see the information you only want your friends to see if you don’t have your WhatsApp account set to hide certain information. WhatsApp has options where you can hide information from everyone or only have your contacts see your profile picture, About or Status content. To change this, tap on the three dots at the top-right and go to Settings. Select the Account option, followed by Privacy.
In Privacy you can (for example) have your contacts only see your last seen, profile picture, about, and status, and can also disable/enable the read receipts option. Tap on any of these options to have only your contacts, everyone, or nobody see your content. With the Status option you can choose to share it with only your contacts, all your contacts except certain people, or only certain contacts.
How to Enable/Disable Two-Step Verification
Enabling the two-step verification option has its benefits, for example, improved security and reduced chances of identity theft. To enable this security feature on your WhatsApp account go to “Settings -> Account -> Two-step verification.”
How to Make Sure Conversations Are Encrypted
To check if a conversation has end-to-end encryption enabled, open the conversation and tap on the name at the top. In the new window, the encryption option will be the fourth one down. Tap on it, and you will see a forty-digit security code.
Make sure both in the conversation have this same code by manually comparing it or having the other person scan the code.
How to Disable Read Receipts in WhatsApp
The read-receipts option is the cause of many arguments. You may have a friend that makes a huge deal out of the fact that you didn’t answer the message right after you read it. By disabling read receipts, the other person will never know when you read the message.
You can disable this feature by going to “Settings -> Account -> Privacy -> Read receipts.”
How to Check that You’re Not Sharing Your Live Location
You may have decided to share your live location when you had to walk home alone late at night, so you shared your it with a contact or a group and forgot to turn it off.
To check that after the fact you’re not still sharing your live location, go to “Settings -> Account -> Privacy -> Live Location.”
How to Enable Security Notifications in WhatsApp
What are security notifications? They are notifications you get when the security code of contact has changed. If you always want to know when someone’s security code has changed, go to “Settings -> Account -> Security,” and toggle the option at the bottom on.
How to Password Protect WhatsApp
You’re reading your WhatsApp messages, and someone knocks at the door. You leave your phone (without locking it) on the table. This may seem harmless, but if you leave your phone unattended for too long, someone could end up picking up your phone and reading your messages.
An app I recommend and use is App Lock – Fingerprint. It’s a free app that can lock apps and fool anyone who tries to access your apps. To add an app to your list, tap on the “+” sign at the bottom, toggle the app on, and once again tap on the “+” sign to save your changes. As you can see in the image above, you can also choose the Fake option. With this option enabled, when someone tries to open the app, they will get a message that the app has failed and not a lock screen. That way they will stop trying to access your WhatsApp conversations thinking the app has been unable to provide access and not that you’ve protected it.
Conclusion
You can never be too careful when it comes to your privacy. If you take these precautions, you will reduce the risk of your WhatsApp conversation falling into the wrong hands. What security measures will you be taking?
