If you have a smartphone, then there is a good chance that you also have WhatsApp on your phone. Even if you don’t like the app very much, you might still have it since it’s the app everyone uses as if there were no other messaging app out there.
So whether you are using WhatsApp because you actually love the app or because it’s the only messaging app your friends and family are using, there are some useful security tips and tricks you need to know about to protect yourself. So, keep reading to find out about the privacy tools you can use.
See more: WhatsApp Tips and Tricks
How to Protect Your Privacy on WhatsApp
Prevent Other from Seeing read receipts, timestamps and more
When using WhatsApp, you have surely come across the words “Last Seen”, but do you know what it means? It’s basically telling everyone the last time you checked WhatsApp. If that’s something you don’t feel like sharing with the world, there is a way to hide that info. Go to Settings >> Account >> Privacy and toggle Nobody in Last Seen.
Stop Others from Reading Your Messages
​​Can I borrow your phone for just a second?, That’s a question that we have been asked before, and if you know the person, we usually don’t say no. But, What if the person out of curiosity, wants to see what we have been up to in WhatsApp? Unless you lock the app, your private messages could fall into the hands of that friend that can’t keep anything a secret. App lock is a popular app on Google Play that lets you lock WhatsApp with a pin code or a pattern lock. It’s free and waiting for you to download it.
Note: If you don’t have Google Play account, you can see this post.
Making the Double Blue Check Marks Disappear
There are three ways you can read a message without the other person knowing you read their message. You can try disabling the Read Receipts in Settings, but that has its downside you won’t be able to see when they read your message. So, if that is not an option for you can read the message in Airplane Mode and the other person won’t see the check marks until you reconnect to the Internet. You can also try adding the WhatsApp widget to your home screen. To do this, press and hold on a space on your home screen that is big enough for the widget and select widgets:
​After selecting Widgets swipe until you see WhatsApp:
​Select the 4 x 2 WhatsApp:
​Now, place it in the blank space where you want it to go and that it! You will now be able to see your WhatsApp messages without opening them, thus avoiding the blue checkmarks.
Confirm Your Contacts Identity
To increase your WhatsApp security with a particular contact, next time you see them scan their QR code to verify their identity. You can do this by opening a conversation with that particular contact and tapping the person’s name at the top. You should see the following image:
​​After tapping on the encryption option, you will see a QR code with a 60-digit code. At the bottom (in blue) you will see a camera icon and Scan Code, use this to scan your friends QR code.​
​Conclusion
WhatsApp may still need a fix here and there, but with these useful security tips, you will be safer than before (if you weren’t using them of course). How do you protect your privacy on WhatsApp? Let me know in the comments.
