WhatsApp Security: How to Keep Your Chat Safe and Secure

WhatsApp is probably one of the fastest growing and most used instant messaging apps out there. And for all the right reasons, it is considered to be one effective communication tool. Not only is it easy to use but it also works quite well. It even works flawlessly with relatively slow internet connections. WhatsApp malware, hacks, and flaws have been reported recently which put a question mark on its security.

Whether you are using this app to send text messages to your friends and share your pictures from your recent trip with the family to a group of your friends, it is essential to ensure that the messages or information you send on WhatsApp is secure or not. If you are not careful while using the app, the malicious hackers out there can leak your private chats. There are several steps that you need to take to protect your security and privacy. So, what are these steps? Let’s find out!

Use a Strong Password to Lock WhatsApp                               

The first step to keep your data secure on WhatsApp is that you try your best to protect the app with a password and PIN. WhatsApp itself does not offer this functionality until now, but there are a variety of third-party apps out there that you can use to do exactly that.

It might seem no less than a nerve-wracking and tiresome task, but in case, you forget your phone somewhere or lose it, using a unique and strong password can prevent your data from getting accessed.

Consider Hiding Your Last Seen

If you don’t want people to know if you are online or not, then you should consider hiding your ‘last seen’ on WhatsApp. It might not seem like vital information to you, but it can turn out to be useful for someone who is already stalking you and knows things about you.

If you think your recent activities, information or location are not important to scammers, then you are mistaken! Any of your information can be useful for such people. So, what you can do is disable or restrict your last seen on your WhatsApp’s Profile; Privacy on all your mobile phone devices. The only downside to this is that even you will not be able to see other users’ ‘last seen’.

Beware of Scams

One of the most important things that you need to remember is that WhatsApp itself will never get in touch with you through the app. Not only that, it does not send its users emails about payment, photos, or videos, chats, voice messages, changes. You only get their email only when you reach out to them through email to get their help and support.

Any email or message that claims to be from WhatsApp, offering any kind of online subscription, or asking you to follow some links in order to protect your data from hackers is certainly a scam. You should not trust such messages.   

Restrict Access to Your Profile Picture

Do you use the same profile picture on every social media account including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter? If your answer to this question is yes, then you need to know that WhatsApp sharing is public, and doing so can be dangerous for you. Putting your WhatsApp’s profile picture on public means that anyone is able to download your picture and use Google image search to find important information about you.

But the best thing about WhatsApp is that it allows its users to take control of who can see or download their profile picture and who cannot. This kind of security will ensure that only the people you want to share your display picture with can access it. In case, you want to restrict your profile picture access on WhatsApp, all you need to do is go to the ‘Privacy’ menu of the app and change your profile picture privacy to either ‘Contacts only’ or ‘Nobody’.

Deactivate Your WhatsApp Account If Your Phone is Lost

You need to know that your WhatsApp account cannot be accessed on two or more than two devices at the same time. You can only use this app on a single phone number, thus, in case you lose the phone, you will have to deactivate the account on the lost device. Now, you must be wondering how you would do that.

Well, first, make sure you replace the SIM card that you have lost so that you can activate your old account using the same number on a different phone. What you need to remember is the fact that WhatsApp can only be used by one number on one device at a time. This is a great way to block the app access from the old device and eventually protect your important data and conversations using Spectrum internet.

Ending Note:

Even if WhatsApp offers exceptional features, you should not forget that it is not completely secure. You need to take the right steps to keep your data safe on the app. Just ensure that you are regularly updating the app so that you can stay safe from security breaches.

Also read: How To Change Whatsapp Font Style: Use More Than 100 Fonts