BackWhatsApp privacy features: Enable these settings now to keep your chats safe
WhatsApp keeps adding new privacy settings to keep chats, media and other important information protectedHere are a few really important WhatsApp privacy settings that you must know
PremiumWhatsApp has successfully emerged as one of the most popular messaging apps all over the world. With more than 2 billion users and counting, the Facebook-owned app is practically the largest instant messaging app right now.
For this reason, the Facebook-owned messaging keeps adding a bevy of features on its Android and iOS devices to provide its customers with smooth messaging experience as well as certain privacy features to keep chats, media and other important information protected.
Here are a few really important WhatsApp privacy settings that you must know in order to keep your chats and information safe:
Enable Touch ID or Face ID lock:
An important privacy feature to give your chats an extra layer of protection from lurkers around. WhatsApp, last year, had added a fingerprint lock feature for its Android and iOS users. The feature supports both touch and face scanners.
To enable it on WhatsApp, go to Settings> Account> Privacy> Fingerprint lock. If you enable WhatsApp’s “Fingerprint Lock" feature, then it will ask you to authenticate your fingerprint or face ID stored in the OS.
Switch on the Two-Step Verification setting:
The two-step verification setting is an important feature to secure the app even when you re-install on your existing phone or freshly download it on your new phone.
The two-step verification setting will enable you to input a six-digit PIN code as WhatsApp verification when downloading or re-installing the app. In this manner, your WhatsApp account remains secured especially in times when your SIM card is stolen or your WhatsApp-linked phone number gets compromised.
To enable the two-step verification setting, go to WhatsApp Settings and Tap on Account. Under that, you will find Two-Step Verification option. Tap on it and insert your 6-digit PIN code to enable the setting.
Update your profile, status and group privacy settings:
Worried about who all can view your status updates and profile photo and even your stories? WhatsApp gives you the control to see who all can view your information. Selective information sharing is one of the pertinent privacy settings that WhatsApp offers for individual chats as well as for Groups.
Here is how you can customise what information gets shared across contacts and groups:
Go to Settings>Account>Privacy.
You will see these options: Last Seen, Profile Photo, About, Groups and Status. Choose among the options to enable who can view your information.
Groups and Status settings have an added option - My contacts except... - to further customise who among your saved WhatsApp contacts can view your status or add you in a group.
The last one is “Only Share With," meaning you can share your Status with a few selected friends.
Tap on any of the options to avail yourself of the privacy settings you need. You can choose from Everyone, My contacts, Nobody, whichever you prefer.
Always keep WhatsApp updated:
WhatsApp constantly keeps updating its software to include new features in order to provide smooth messaging and call experience to its users. Apart from simply adding new features and services, the Facebook-owned app also keeps updating its security policies to steer clear of the various malwares, bugs etc.
This is the primary reason as to why you should update your apps regularly and stay away from bugs, online chat snooping and also virtual lurkers. Generally, the auto-update option of your phone should keep your apps updated. However, if your phone does not update the apps automatically, go to your phone's app store, Google Play Store for Android smartphones and App Store for iPhones and search for WhatsApp app and update it manually by tapping 'update'.
Apart from that, you should also keep your phone's Operating System up to date to implement overall improved features for your phone and your apps.
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