WhatsApp’s security settings help protect the account and personal information. This means that unauthorized persons cannot gain access to the account and personal information is not exposed through security breaches. Using security settings for WhatsApp, such as two-factor authentication and message encryption, makes using WhatsApp more secure. It is therefore important to regularly check these settings and adjust them if necessary to ensure that the account and data are optimally protected.
Security settings for WhatsApp
- Two-factor authentication: Two-factor authentication is an additional security measure designed to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to a WhatsApp account. With this setting, a six-digit code is required to activate or verify the account, which is set by the user himself. This code must be entered when signing up on a new device to activate the account.
- Privacy Settings: WhatsApp offers various privacy settings to protect user privacy. For example, you can set who can see the profile picture, the status or the last online status. You can also set who can send group invitations or see their own online status.
- End-to-End Encryption: WhatsApp encrypts all chats and calls end-to-end, which means only the sender and recipient can decrypt the contents of the messages. This also means that WhatsApp itself has no access to the chats and therefore cannot pass any data on to third parties.
- Blocking contacts: If a user is being harassed or disturbed by someone, they can block them to ensure no further messages or calls are received from that person. The blocked person will not be informed that they have been blocked.
- Automatic deletion of messages: WhatsApp also allows you to automatically delete messages after a certain amount of time. This preference can be set in chat settings and can help prevent sensitive information from being stored on the user’s device.
- Fingerprint lock: If the user devices support biometric authentication, you can activate a fingerprint lock in the WhatsApp settings. This setting keeps WhatsApp locked until the user scans their fingerprint again to access the app.
- Security Notifications: WhatsApp sends security notifications when connecting to a new device or performing two-step verification. This notifies the user when someone tries to access the account and allows them to quickly take action to protect the account.
- Device management: In WhatsApp settings there is a feature called “Device Management” that allows the user to view the active devices on which the account is active. Devices on which the user no longer wants to use the account can also be removed here.
- Backup Encryption: When backing up WhatsApp chats on the user’s device, it is important to note that the backup is not automatically encrypted. Therefore, it is recommended to use a strong password for the backup or to use WhatsApp’s backup function itself, which automatically encrypts the backup.
These WhatsApp security settings are important to ensure user privacy and security while using WhatsApp. It’s a good idea to review these settings regularly and adjust them if necessary to ensure the user’s account and data are optimally protected.
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Recommendation: Go to the SaferInternet WhatsApp privacy guide
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