Several years, WhatsApp became the most famous instant messaging application worldwide and, without a doubt, the most popular in Spain. Thanks to that, it’s about a totally free multiplatform app that allows you to share messages and audios, like make calls and video calls, send multimedia content and leverage end-to-end encryption.
In this way, it is considered a primary utility to maintain contact with those you want, regardless of the distance at which they are. Consequently, it is also characterized by providing different alternatives in order to users can optimize their experience, the reason why has different privacy options.
But, although it offers what is necessary to acquire the greatest possible security, the truth is that it still many people are unaware of these solutions and do not care about improving their privacy on WhatsApp. As a consequence, below, we will let you know the importance of configuring this parameter in this app and we will review the different security and privacy options it offers.
Why is it important to configure WhatsApp privacy?
With the rise of new technologies, privacy is an extremely important aspect for Internet users, but it is very difficult to maintain. Since, just as numerous solutions have been designed with which users manage to optimize their experience, different threats are also active in this environment. Therefore, in view of WhatsApp It has become one of the most useful apps, it is also considered the ideal bridge for individuals with malicious purposes to reach those people.
So if you have sloppy configuration in this app, you could compromise your security and privacy, seriously, before unknown users. Consequently, the importance of making a good adjustment in the privacy of WhatsApp, is that, you will be able to reduce your vulnerability to other people who want to carry out their untrustworthy actions through WhatsApp.
Taking into account that, in this way, you can view your profile picture, as well as your last connection time and your status, for example. In this sense, control privacy in WhatsApp is a vital factor to achieve restrict other people’s access to your personal information. With it, apart from everything, you will not let viruses enter your devices through the instant messaging app.
Learn step by step how to configure the privacy of your WhatsApp account
Now, beyond understanding what is the relevance of acquiring optimal privacy and security in the application, it is also relevant to know what are all those parameters that you can configure in your WhatsApp account for better confidentiality.
Therefore, below, we explain what you should do step by step:
Hide photo from strangers
One of the most relevant solutions to acquire greater privacy in WhatsApp, consists in stop showing your profile picture to unknown users. In this way, it will be more difficult for them to know your identity and commit their unreliable actions.
To carry out this adjustment, the steps to follow are:
- Initially, you have to access your account settings. For it, enter the app and select the three vertical points located in the upper right corner, to click on “Settings”.
- Then, click on the section that says “Account” and proceed to choose the option that indicates “Privacy”.
- Done the above, in section “Who can see my personal information”, click on “Profile picture”.
- In conclusion, just subtract select the box that says “My contacts” and thus, you will stop showing your photo to any user of the app. Taking into account that, only the people you have added can view it.
Block contacts
In case an unknown person, contacts you through WhatsApp and you prefer to stop receiving their messages and that it cannot know absolutely anything about your movements in the app, the best thing is that you block it.
Luckily, it is very easy to do it and here we explain how:
- Log in to your account of WhatsApp Y find the conversation with the contact you want to block. Either through the section “Chats” or in your contact list in the app.
- After that, go to the upper right corner of the chat and press the three dots located there to access the options menu.
- Then,click on the option “More” and select “Block”.
- By last, to confirm the action, you must click on “Block” again. In case you want to report the user on the platform, you have to click on “Report and block”.
Delete the read receipt
For privacy and convenience, a large number of users of WhatsApp they prefer to prevent their contacts from knowing that they have read their messages or, failing that, stop showing message read receipt. Luckily, the application has enabled this solution from which the blue double check will disappear.
In this sense, to deactivate read receipts, the steps to follow refer to:
- First of all, enter your account WhatsApp and access the main options menu, to select “Settings”.
- Once you do the above, you have to click on “Account” to enter the section of “Privacy”.
- Now, you will find an option that says “Read confirmation” and, by default, it is activated. For disable it, you just owe slide the switch to the left. That’s it.
It should be noted that, once you deactivate this function, you will also stop seeing the read confirmation of your contacts, since the changes are made in both directions. However, keep in mind that, in groups of WhatsApp there will always be read receipts, even if you have disabled this option.
Use 2-Step Verification
By nature, two-step verification is a security measure that increases user protection by encrypting their accounts, somehow. Since, using this technology known as “Double factor authentication”, third parties will not be able to access personal accounts, without authorization. Fortunately, WhatsApp offers this solution to all its users to achieve improve your security against prying eyes.
Consequently, it is recommended to enable two-step authentication as an optimal privacy setting, and in this case, the following steps should be performed:
- To start, enter the application and click on the options menu in the upper left corner. There, choose the option that says “Settings”.
- Then of this, you have to click on “Account” and when you enter that section, click on “Two-Step Verification”.
- Once you do the above, A new screen will appear where they inform you that you will have to use a PIN to register your phone number in WhatsApp, if you enable this function. Thus, proceed to press the “Activate” button.
- Next, they will ask you for a 6-digit code that you should not forget. Subsequently, follow the steps that they indicate and thus, you can start using the two-step verification.
Don’t show last connection time
Just as it is considered important to hide the profile image in WhatsApp To enjoy greater privacy, it is also essential to reserve the last time so that do not be aware of your movements in the instant messaging application, in order to spy on your activity and your habits in it.
Therefore, we advise you to do this:
- As we have explained to you throughout the post, the first thing you should do is log into your account WhatsApp, open the options menu and select “Settings”.
- Later, go to the section that says “Account” and there, tap on “Privacy”.
- After the above, It’s time to focus on the part that indicates “Who can see my personal information” to proceed to press “Last hour. time” which is the first option, by default.
- To conclude, select the “Nobody” box And in this way, not even your contacts will be able to know the specific moment in which you last connected in the app.
It should be noted that, as with the read confirmation, in this case, You will also stop observing the last connection time of your contacts or other users. Valuing that, even when no one can visualize your last time in WhatsApp, all users they will be able to see your status “Online”, since it is impossible to hide it, until now.
Disable cloud copy
Another important point that we recommend you configure in your account WhatsApp for security reasons, refers to the cloud copy. Which consists of a function that is responsible for keeping your conversations always saved. However, while sometimes helpful, certainly reveals vulnerability around your data, since you do not know what can happen to your chats in the future when being on a third platform.
Therefore, to maintain greater privacy in this application, it is relevant disable automatic cloud copy and, as an extra solution, you can opt for copy and save your chats on a hard drive that is solely controlled by you.
In this sense, to disable said copy of WhatsApp, it will be necessary to carry out the following procedure:
- From your WhatsApp, enter the Settings menu as we have taught you in this post.
- Once they show you available options, you have to click on “Chats”.
- Followed by that, go to the bottom of the panel and select the option that indicates “Backup”.
- To end, just subtract disable cloud backup that is currently activated and voila, so you can avoid future vulnerabilities.