WhatsApp users by providing top security tips to stay secure on their personal chats. personal information being communicated, and even though WhatsApp now encrypts all of its messages and data, it pays to be secure with your chats. Here are eight top WhatsApp security tips.
1) Lock WhatsApp
One of the best WhatsApp security tips is to protect the app with a password or PIN. WhatsApp itself doesn't offer such a function, but there are third-party apps that do. It might seem cumbersome but if you lose your phone, it's going to prevent anyone else accessing your chats. Messenger and Chat Lock, Lock for WhatsApp and Secure Chat are three Android apps that do just that.
2) Block WhatsApp photos from appearing in photoroll
It's fair to assume that your WhatsApp conversations might occasionally take on a distinctly 'personal' note. If you're sharing images with your significant other, the last thing you want is for those images to appear in your general photostream, popping up when you let a friend swipe through your holiday snaps.
On iPhone, it's easy to fix: Go into your phone's Settings menu, then 'Privacy', 'Photos', and deselect WhatsApp from the list of apps whose images are fed into the photostream.
Android users will have to get under the hood a little bit. Using a file explorer app like ES File Explorer, find WhatsApp's 'Images' and 'Videos' folders. Create a file within each called '.nomedia'. That will stop Android's Gallery from scanning the folder.
3) Hide 'last seen' timestamp
Not sure you want people to know when you're coming on and offline? You can disable or restrict who sees your 'last seen' time in WhatsApp's 'Profile'; 'Privacy' menu, in Android, iOS, Windows or Blackberry. Be aware though, if you turn it off, you won't be able to see other users' 'last seen' times either.
4) Restrict access to profile picture
If anyone download your pic from your WhatsApp profile and, using Google Image search, very quickly find out more about you. Set profile picture sharing to "contacts only" in the Privacy menu.
5) Watch out for scams
WhatsApp itself will never contact you through the app. Also, WhatsApp does not send emails about chats, voice messages, payment, changes, photos, or videos, unless you email their help and support to begin with. Anything offering a free subscription, claiming to be from WhatsApp or encouraging you to follow links in order to safeguard your account is definitely a scam and not to be trusted.
6) Deactivate WhatsApp if you lose your phone
WhatsApp offers users simple and effective security tips to keep control of your account if your phone is lost or stolen. As well as locking your SIM card through your network provider, WhatsApp recommends that you immediately activate WhatsApp with the same phone number on a different phone, with a replacement SIM. The app can only be used by one number on one device at a time, so by doing so you instantly block it from being used on your old phone. If that's not possible, WhatsApp can deactivate your account.
7) Be careful what you talk about
Last but not least, use the same common sense you would with any form of digital communication. Don't send personal information if you can possibly avoid it - addresses, phone numbers, email addresses - and never send your bank, social security or credit card details, or your passport or other identification details.
8) Remember to log out of WhatsApp Web
WhatsApp recently made a lot of noise with the launch of WhatsApp Web. The mirroring service makes life easier while working on PC. However, most users are unware that they should ideally log out of WhatsApp Web on Google Chrome browser either from their mobile or the browser.