WhatsApp has faced since the beginning of the year a vast controversy relating to the modifications of its conditions of use. Modifications that do not delight its users and that have earned him strong criticism in recent weeks.
Worse yet, these new T & Cs have also caused a massive exodus of its users, with no shortage of alternatives.
On your side, however, it is possible that you have chosen to keep the solution. If so, then here are 6 privacy options to activate urgently in WhatsApp.
1 / Control the visibility of your data
By default, when you log into your WhatsApp account on your smartphone, all your account information is configured as visible to everyone.
Concretely, this means that anyone will be able to consult your profile picture, your news or even your status.
However, it is necessary to change this state of affairs by going to the application settings, and more precisely in the menu called “Confidentiality”, a menu comprising at the top of the list three options – View at, Profile picture, news – that will allow you to control who has access to your data.
With, each time, three possible choices:
- Everybody ;
- Your contacts ;
- Nobody ;
And there, of course, it’s up to you to choose who you want to share your data with.
2 / Control who can invite you to groups
I don’t know if you have ever faced this kinda weird situation or suddenly found yourself in a WhatsApp group that you don’t know.
If this happens to you sometimes, and if you are more than tired of this situation, then know that it is perfectly possible to fix the problem permanently. Better yet, all you have to do is head over to the app’s settings.
Again, you will need to go to the “Privacy” menu and pay attention to the items at the top.
Under the three options we saw in the previous point, you will find a menu called “group”.
And by tapping on it, you can define who has the right to invite you to a group, with no less than three options to choose from:
- Everybody ;
- My contacts ;
- My contacts except;
Here, it is interesting to note that you can very well decide to open the function to all your contacts, except some very particular people. This can be useful when you have to deal with a too heavy uncle Roger or too enterprising PR.
3 / Control who can see your status
WhatsApp, like any self-respecting messaging app, allows its users to easily change their status. For example, to change it from “available” to “in meeting”.
Only problem, by default, all your contacts can see your status and therefore know if you are available, if you are at the cinema, if you are blocked in a meeting or even if your battery is flat.
Because yes, WhatsApp is very generous in terms of these famous statuses.
Fortunately, there is a way to protect your privacy. And again, this will go through the “Confidentiality” menu.
Also at the top, under the groups menu, you will find an option called “Status”.
And just tap on it to see three proposals appear:
- My contacts ;
- My contacts except…;
- Share only with…;
If we find once again the option to restrict the display of the status to certain contacts, we can also turn to the third option which allows this time to share it with a handful of people. Like relatives or family members, for example.
4 / Monitor the sharing of your location
WhatsApp offers a very convenient feature that allows a user to share their location with a person or even with a group. This can be very practical when, for example, you have to join a friend or colleagues.
The only problem is that sharing your location is not always the best way to preserve your privacy or peace.
WhatsApp is able to list all conversations where location sharing is active. You just have to go to the settings of the application and more precisely to the privacy options to find your happiness.
There, you will indeed find a section entitled “Location” with the list of all the conversations with which you share your location.
5 / Disable read receipts
WhatsApp activates by default a function which marks with a check mark all the messages read by your recipients. So you know when they saw it. And it is of course the same for them.
Once again, if this function is quite practical, it can also be quite disturbing, especially when using WhatsApp in a professional context. You don’t necessarily want your boss to know when you read their messages, especially when you don’t intend to reply.
Fortunately, this option can be disabled, again through the application’s privacy options. Note, however, that if you deactivate it, then you will not be able to know when your recipients have read your messages either.
As the other would say, it is indeed give and take.
6 / Activate biometrics
And we come to the last point of this file. WhatsApp has supported biometrics for several versions. It is thus possible to protect access to the application by relying, for example, on Face ID.
To activate the option, nothing complicated, just go again and again to the privacy settings of the application and activate the appropriate option. Option at the bottom of the list.
When this is done, Face ID will be triggered each time the application is opened. Note, however, that the tool does not yet support unlocking with the Apple Watch.
This also means that if you activate this option, then you will have to enter your code each time when you are wearing a mask.
And if you are looking for some tips to help you secure access to your WhatsApp, then you can check out this file.
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