WHATSAPP has launched a new campaign to get everyone using the best privacy settings.
The Meta-owned chat app has shared 10 tips and tricks that you should try – to avoid any privacy or cybersecurity risks.
1
Hackers and scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, so it’s more important than ever to have the best settings.
And given that WhatsApp has more than two billion users globally, it’s a prime target for snooping.
But good privacy settings aren’t just about avoiding losing money: they also allow you to keep better control of your personal info online.
WhatsApp says its privacy tips can help users “feel comfortable enough to have any conversation – not just about big topics, but also about everyday things”.
Here are WhatsApp’s top 10 privacy tips…
#1 View Once
“For more control over who sees the media you send, you can share photos or videos which will disappear as soon as it has been viewed by the recipient using the ‘view once’ feature,” WhatsApp explained.
“To use View Once, go to your chats to send a photo as usual, then click on the photo, and tap the ‘1’ on the right hand side of the caption box.
Most read in Tech
“A pop up will appear saying ‘this photo is set to view once’.
“WhatsApp recently also announced screenshot blocking for View Once messages, which adds an additional layer of security when sharing media.”
#2 Disappearing Messages
WhatsApp said: “Don’t want your private messages to hang around forever? With Disappearing Messages, you can choose to have messages disappear after 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days.
“Just tap the name of the chat in which you want your messages to disappear, and tap ‘Disappearing Messages’.
“You can also set this as default for all your chats in Settings.”
#3 Add Face ID
“While you probably already have a PIN code or facial recognition lock on your phone, you might be unaware you can add an extra level of security by also screen locking your WhatsApp with Face ID,” WhatsApp said.
“Turn on ‘Require Face ID’ in your WhatsApp’s settings menu to add facial recognition to access your chats.”
#4 Choose which groups you join
WhatsApp explained: “Tired of being invited into surprise birthday or wedding group chats without being asked first?
“You can easily choose who is able to invite you into groups by changing your Group settings in Settings > Accounts > Privacy.”
#5 Hide your profile picture
“Similarly, if you are in a large group chat, and don’t want people you don’t know to see your profile picture, you can hide it from people who are not your contacts, or hide it from certain contacts by heading to Settings > Account > Privacy > Profile Photo,” WhatsApp revealed.
#6 Leave groups silently
“WhatsApp recently announced that soon, all users will be able to leave a group without triggering a notification,” WhatsApp explained.
“Just click on the name of the group chat you want to leave, and tap ‘Exit Group’, (but make sure your app is updated to the latest version!).”
#7 Hidden online presence
“While many people are aware that you can change the visibility of your ‘last seen’ on the app, WhatsApp recently announced that you can now hide your online presence, so you can choose to respond when you want to,” WhatsApp said.
“Dubbed as ‘Stealth Mode’ by fans of the feature, you can access this option in Settings > Privacy > Last Seen & Online.
“In here, you’ll find a new “who can see when I’m online” option.”
#8 Enable two-factor verification
WhatsApp explained: “If you haven’t already, you should turn on WhatsApp’s two-step verification. It’s an extra step that verifies your phone number and helps safeguard your account.
“Go to Settings > Account > Two-Step Verification‘ to enable it.”
#9 End-to-end encrypted back-ups
“When you create an end-to-end encrypted backup, your messages and media are stored in the cloud and secured by a password or a 64-digit encryption key,” WhatsApp said.
“This means that messages stored on your cloud phone storage (like iCloud or Google Drive) will be fully encrypted, just like your messages on WhatsApp.
“To turn it on, head to settings, tap Chats > Chat Backup > End-to-end Encrypted Backup. Tap Turn on, then follow the prompts.”
#10 Turn read receipts off
WhatsApp added: “Sometimes we can feel the pressure of always responding and not leaving somebody on ‘read’.
“If you want a little more time to think of a response, or just don’t want to reply yet, you can turn your read receipts off by heading to Settings > Account > Privacy > Read Receipts.”
Best Phone and Gadget tips and hacks
Looking for tips and hacks for your phone? Want to find those secret features within social media apps? We have you covered…
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]
This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
