How To Protect Your WhatsApp’s Privacy: 8 Hidden Privacy And Security Tools

WhatsApp continues to strengthen its end-to-end encryption with multiple privacy tools. This widely used platform is commonly used for day-to-day communication, making it an attractive platform for scammers.

Users often share their personal data, like Aadhar Card, bank information, OTP and personal photos on WhatsApp, giving an opportunity to online scammers for financial fraud, identity theft and other online scams. By enabling these 8 privacy tools, you can strengthen your WhatsApp’s privacy. Here’s all you need to know. Privacy Check Open your WhatsApp account and tap on the three dots in the top-right corner. From the menu, go to Settings and then select Privacy.Read More: From Missed Call Alerts To Status Stickers, WhatsApp Rolls Out Major Update For Indian Users: Check Full List HereHere, you can choose who sees your last seen and online status—everyone or only your contacts. You can also control the visibility of your profile picture and limit your WhatsApp status so it remains hidden from selected contacts.Disappearing Message This feature allows messages to disappear after 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days, depending on the timer you select. Within a chat, tap on the three dots to find the Disappearing Messages option, where you can set how long your messages remain visible.Two-Step verification and Security PinSettings > Account > Two-step verification, enable it by entering a six-digit PIN. This prevents unauthorised access and makes your WhatsApp account much more secure. You can also add your email address, which helps you recover your account if you forget the PIN or lose access.Chat LockClick on the chat you want to lock. Scroll down until you see “Chat Lock”, and enable it. This will help to maintain your chats' privacy and can be accessed through your biometrics only.Advanced Settings Settings > Privacy > Advanced. This feature offers multiple options, like:Block unknown account messagesProtect IP address in callsDisable link previewsWhile these features can affect the quality of the call, they can also enhance your privacy. Disable Read ReceiptUnder privacy you can turn off your read receipt. This will prevent scammers from tracking your activity to see whether you have seen their message or not and can protect you from unwanted responses. Automatic DownloadOften people turn on their automatic downloads, which can be a little risky. If you turn off your automatic download, you can prevent scams via links, photos and videos and can also save up some space on your phone.Advanced Chat Privacy Enabling advanced chat privacy prevents chats from being exported from WhatsApp. This also restricts the automatic download of media. However, in group conversations, the administrator can decide whether or not group members are allowed to change the settings.