| WhatsApp has replaced the mobile messaging system. The messaging service has over 700 million active users. We share videos, contacts, important messages and even sensitive details like bank account using WhatsApp. WhatsApp has huge mines of personal data. WhatsApp users need to follow some security tips to secure their personal chats. Here are eight tips to secure your WhatsApp conversations. |  |
1. Lock WhatsApp:
Locking the WhatsApp application is the most basic security measure that one can follow. WhatsApp doesn't offer locking function by default but, there are few third-party apps that can let you lock WhatsApp. If you lost your phone or a friend borrows it, your personal conversation can be compromised. Apps like, Messenger and Chat Lock, Lock for WhatsApp and Secure Chat are great third party lock apps for Android.
2. Block WhatsApp Photos In Gallery:
WhatsApp downloads photos and videos shared with you on a separate folder in your phone. These photos and videos are categorised in separate folder named, ‘WhatsApp Photos’ and ‘WhatsApp Videos’ on your phone’s gallery app. Blocking these folders to show up in Gallery is fairly simple.
On iPhone, go to phone’s Settings menu > Privacy > Photos > Unmark WhatsApp. This will stop iPhone’s photoroll from scanning for WhatApp images.
On Android, open any File Manager app > WhatsApp > Media > WhatsApp Images and create a file called ‘.nomedia’ in the folder. You should create similar file in WhatsApp Videos folder. WhatsApp photos and videos will disappear from Android’s Gallery.
3. Hide ‘last seen’:
Are you keen about your privacy and don’t want your friends to know whether you are online or offline? People can use it as vital information but, scammers use it as contextual information like, whether you are awake or not, you are at home or overseas and much more. You don’t want people to judge you on basis of your ‘last seen’ on WhatsApp. You can easily disable ‘last seen’ on WhatsApp. Go to WhatsApp > Profile > Privacy > Disable ‘last seen’. However, by disabling last seen, you wont be able to see other users’ ‘last seen’ either.
4. Restrict Access To Profile Picture:
Anybody can easily download profile pictures on WhatsApp. It’s not new that ill-minded people misuse pictures. Some media agencies can use it for their database. You can quickly find out if your photo has been used anywhere on the internet by quickly Googling your name in Google Image Search. You can restrict access to your profile picture by enabling profile picture sharing to only ‘contacts’. Go to WhatsApp > Profile > Privacy and set profile picture sharing to “contacts only”.
5. Watch Out For Scams:
There have been many scamming incidents through WhatsApp. Always remember that, WhatsApp will never contact you using the app. The company never sends emails about chats, voice messages, payments, photos or videos. If you receive any message that offers free subscription, claims to be some official from WhatsApp, it is a scam. Ignore such messages and don’t bother responding to such messages.
6. Deactivate WhatsApp:
WhatsApp offers number of security measures to give you more control over your account if your device is stolen. One WhatsApp account can be used on only one number on one device at a time. In case, your phone is stolen or lost, lock your SIM card with help from your network provider and get the replacement SIM. You must activate WhatsApp with this replacement SIM on new device immediately. If that’s not possible, you can simply head to WhatsApp’s website and follow simple procedure to deactivate your account.
7. Be Careful While Sharing:
Even though WhatsApp is a great sharing and conversation media, be very cautious about what you talk. Use some common sense while communicating on WhatsApp. Avoid sending personal information on WhatsApp. Never send sensitive information such as your bank account details, credit card details, passport information or any kind of identification number that can be misused.
8. WhatsApp Web:
WhatsApp recently launched their web service. This mirroring service works over WiFi network on desktop browser. If you forget to log out of WhatsApp Web on your work machine, there are good chances that your colleagues will get to read your chats using your work desktop. Never forget to log out of WhatsApp Web after the use.
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