5 Best WhatsApp Privacy & Security Features You Should Enable Today

Top 5 WhatsApp features you must start using today to keep your chats safe and secure (image Pixabay)

Learn the 5 best features of WhatsApp that will improve your privacy and security and find out how to begin using them today to secure your chat.

WhatsApp, a popular instant messaging application, comes with a number of privacy features to protect the users of the application. Privacy has become a significant issue to people who use social media applications. Furthermore, as the Instagram has discontinued end-to-end encryption of Direct Messages, users are now moving to other applications. Thus in this paper, we have been able to explore what WhatsApp provides on privacy and security:

1. End-to-end encrypted backups

Not only do the chats get encrypted by default on WhatsApp, but the chat backup is also encrypted. Even though, people will be required to enable this setting by doing the following steps. After this, WhatsApp will also allow you to be using a password or encryption key to your chat backups so that even the ones that have been stored remain confidential.

• Step 1: Go into Settings
• Step 2: Then go to Chats
• Step 3: Tap on Chat Backup
• Step 4: Click on the End-to-End Encrypted Backup and enable it.

2. Two-step verification

Two-step authentication is another security measure that is put in place against hackers attempting to have access to accounts. When this setting is activated, it will secure your WhatsApp account even in case the phone or SIM is stolen. Once this setting is switched on, it is with this setting that you require a six-digit PIN that you use to enter your number into another device.

• Step 1: Open Settings
• Step 2: Go to Account
• Step 3: Tap on Two-step verification.
• Step 4: Thereafter enter your PIN and you are good.

3. The people who can view your information.

WhatsApp allows individuals to select people who see their information. These include-

• -last seen status
• -profile photo
• -"About" info
• -Status updates

People have options of Everyone, My Contacts, My Contacts Except and Nobody. This is one of the things that a quick change will foster, by preventing nosy people, and giving you greater control.

Disappearing messages

Disappearing messages are considered one of the hottest security features of WhatsApp. When enabled, this setting has the capability to automatically delete chats after a specified amount of time which can be 24 hours, 7 days or 90 days.

This continues swiping conversations and cleaning the talks simpler, as opposed to making it strenuous. In case what you are sharing is only of short term relevance, this feature will ensure that it does not get stacked up.

Toggle it on in a chat or set it as the default to all new conversations with the tiny touch of a button.

4. Chat lock to use in the privacy of your conversation.

The Chat Lock option allows individuals to provide an extra security to specific chats. Once this is turned on, all the conversations are placed in a separate folder. One has to use a fingerprint, Face ID, or the passcode of the phone to enter. It is ideal when you need to conceal sensitive messages to anybody who may steal your phone or peep at your computer monitor.

To enable this option, all that one needs is to open the profile of a contact in WhatsApp and tap on the Chat Lock to have it activated.