Using WhatsApp safely and privately may seem like a challenge, but with a few simple settings tweaks, you can protect your information and control who can see your activities on the app. Since the app doesn’t offer an invisible mode like other messaging apps in the past, it’s important to know these settings.
Not only does this increase your privacy, it also helps you avoid scammers and spammers who are always looking for flaws or exposed information. Let’s explore the privacy options WhatsApp offers and how you can adjust them to protect your account.
What can I change to make WhatsApp more secure?
In WhatsApp, the privacy section is where it all starts. When you access the app's settings, whether on iPhone by tapping on “Settings” in the lower right corner, or on Android by selecting the three dots in the upper right corner and going to “Settings,” you'll have a series of options to adjust.
Basic Privacy Settings
in PrivacyYou will find several important settings:
Reproduction
- Last seen and online presence: Here you can control who sees your online and last seen status. Options include Everyone, My Contacts, Nobody, or My Contacts Except. Choose who can and can't see this information.
- personal picture: As with Last Seen, you can also choose who can see your profile picture with the same privacy options.
- Group settings: Select who can add you to groups to avoid unwanted invitations.
- condition: Control who can see your status updates, and increase privacy for who stays informed about your daily activities.
- Read receipts: Turning this feature off prevents others from knowing whether you've read their messages, but it also prevents you from knowing whether they've read yours.
Advanced Security Functions
In the privacy settings, you will find advanced options such as:
- Message duration: Choose how long your messages are available before they are automatically deleted. It can be 24 hours, seven days, or 90 days.
- IP protection on calls: Enabling this feature can help protect your IP address during calls, adding an extra layer of privacy, although it may affect call quality.
- Disable link preview: Prevents third party sites from discovering your IP address when you click on links received by the app.
Properly configuring WhatsApp not only protects your personal information, it also gives you more control over your in-app experience. Please take the time to review these settings and adjust them to suit your privacy needs.
Conclusion
While WhatsApp doesn’t offer a fully incognito mode, the privacy settings available give you plenty of room to keep your account secure and your information protected. Adjust them regularly as your needs change and stay safe online.
