WhatsApp conversations are more than simply text messages. We’re all aware of it. We share images, videos, bank account information, and contact information. And, with so much personal data, the basic goal behind WhatsApp was to create a means for you to interact with your family and friends via an instant-messaging software; but, it has also become one of the most popular mediums for exchanging media and documents in recent years.
You may have been using WhatsApp for a long time, but when it comes to ‘how to secure WhatsApp account,’ there are a few basic steps to take to ensure that your data remains safe. In 2016, WhatsApp introduced end-to-end encryption to ensure that message details do not fall into the wrong hands. However, that isn’t the end of the storey.
There are numerous actions that we, as users, can take to make WhatsApp more secure. The trouble is that you can never be assured that the person on the other end of your private communications is who they claim to be.
Meeting that individual face-to-face is the “final mile” that guarantees you’re interacting with the person you think you’re communicating with. This holds true for all encryption systems.
10 Cool Tips to Secure WhatsApp
1. Two-factor verification
Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, is one of the most critical online security methods for WhatsApp security, and you should use it if a service enables it. Two-step verification adds a passcode to your WhatsApp account on a regular basis and ensures that no one else can access your WhatsApp data.
Go to Menu > Settings > Account > Two-step verification > Enable to enable two-factor authentication, often known as 2FA. Following these instructions, you will be prompted to establish a six-digit passcode code that you can easily remember. You may also use your email address to retrieve your PIN if you forget it.
2. Manage WhatsApp Web Effectively
Not only has the online version of WhatsApp made it easier to read and respond to messages, but it also allows you to access your messages even if your Android isn’t nearby. All you have to do to secure WhatsApp is log in once using the QR code.
Simple.
In a less-than-ideal circumstance, if you fail to log out of a public computer, a stranger can see all of your messages and photos. That’s hardly something you’d desire, would it? That’s when the option to log out of all computers comes in handy. When you tap it, all of your current WhatsApp web sessions will be ended immediately.
3. Check Encryption for Sensitive Conversations
Despite the fact that Secure WhatsApp encrypts all chats by default, it’s always a good idea to double-check. When discussing sensitive information with a trusted person, such as a credit card number, it’s best to do so.
Start a discussion with that contact to verify the encryption. Tap the contact’s name in the chat box, then Encryption. You’ll notice something similar to this: Your security code is a 40-digit pattern.
You can manually verify this code by comparing the digits, having the contact scan the QR code, or using the “Scan Code” option to scan your contact’s code. As security researcher Martin Shelton points out, it’s advisable to double-check these numbers using a different messenger.
4. Disable cloud backups
WhatsApp features end-to-end encryption, which means it backs up all communications to Google Drive or iCloud for Android users and iCloud for iOS users, respectively.
This also means that you will be able to retrieve all of your chat backup messages if you reinstall your Secure WhatsApp account later; however, this option is not encrypted, so if you value your privacy, you should disable it.
Go to WhatsApp > Menu > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Backup to Google Drive > To secure WhatsApp, go to WhatsApp > Menu > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Backup to Google Drive > To secure WhatsApp, go to WhatsApp > Menu > Settings
Never turn off Android’s automatic cloud backups. To switch off automatic cloud backups on Android and iOS, go to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Auto Backup > Off.
5. Turn On Security Notifications
A new security code is produced for both phones when a new phone or laptop accesses an existing chat. When the security code changes, WhatsApp might send a notification. This manner, you may double-check the encryption with a friend using a different messenger, verifying that it is secure.
To enable security notifications, click here. To make WhatsApp more secure, go to WhatsApp > Settings > Account > Security > Show security notifications and turn the toggle to green, as seen above.
6. Protect Your Privacy on WhatsApp
The notion that everyone may be texted if you merely know their phone number was a major factor in WhatApp’s meteoric ascent. The disadvantage of this function is that your lovely profile photo may fall into the wrong hands. All they require is your phone number.
It is almost certain that a profile photo you have on WhatsApp is linked to one from a social network or that it is stored on a company’s website. In this example, if your image is publicly available, the hacker can use it to find you on the Internet using Google’s image search services and steal your important and sensitive information.
To secure WhatsApp, it is recommended that the picture is only viewable to persons in your contact list or shared among people you know. This option is simple to set up in any version of the application. The good news is that this may be easily avoided by restricting access to the profile image.
Switch from the default Everybody option to the more friendly My contacts option in Privacy. Only the contacts you’ve saved will be able to see your profile image from now on. You’re not sure you want people to know when you’ll be online and when you’ll be offline?
It may not seem important, but if a fraudster already knows a lot about you, adding that extra bit of background information could help them out – whether you’re awake or asleep, at home or abroad, exiting a movie theatre or boarding a plane. You may also not want your contacts – particularly coworkers or your supervisor – to know you’re on WhatsApp at your workstation.
In WhatsApp’s ‘Profile’; ‘Privacy’ menu, you can disable or limit who can view your ‘last seen’ time. However, if you were last seen in a few hours and will be gone for a long time, this information could be critical if someone is attempting to hijack your account. You would be helpless to safeguard your account if you were last seen in a few hours.
Hide “last active” labels, on the other hand, may simply mean preserving your privacy on a higher level. This option’s settings can be altered in each version of the WhatsApp app.
7. Beware Of WhatsApp scams
WhatsApp will never contact you directly via the app. Also, unless you email their assistance and support first, WhatsApp does not send emails concerning conversations, voice messages, payments, changes, photographs, or videos.
Anything that offers a free subscription, claims to be from WhatsApp, or encourages you to click on links to protect your account is a fraud and should not be trusted. WhatsApp is quickly becoming a haven for strange links, deceptive material, and phishing scams.
8. Sharing private data and VPN usage
Personal data such as phone numbers, credit card numbers, addresses, and e-mail addresses should never be sent using WhatsApp because such information is already known to your close friends and should not be accessible to everyone.
Installing a VPN, which will encrypt your internet traffic while also ensuring that data passing from your device cannot be intercepted, is also suggested, especially while using public Wi-Fi.
9. Deactivate WhatsApp if you lose your phone
If your phone is lost or stolen, please sure you delete your WhatsApp account as well as your SIM card. If your phone is lost or stolen, WhatsApp provides easy and effective security tips to help you preserve control of your account.
WhatsApp recommended that you immediately activate WhatsApp with the same phone number on a different phone, using a replacement SIM, in addition to locking your SIM card through your network operator.
Because Secure WhatsApp can only be used by one number on one device at a time, you can prevent it from being used on your old phone right away. If this isn’t possible, WhatsApp has the option of deactivating your account.
10. Be careful what you talk about
As with any kind of digital communication, employ common sense. If at all possible, avoid sending personal information such as addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, and never give your bank, social security, or credit card information, or your passport or other identifying information.
