5 Tips to keep your WhatsApp account safe and secure

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WhatsApp privacy and security is more than just end-to-end encryption. Optional features like chat lock, profile photo privacy, app lock, view once messages, and status privacy add extra layers of protection to your account. Here’s how you can explore each one:

1. Lock your private chats

You can lock and password protect your most personal chats. Locked chats will be hidden from your chats list in the Locked Chats folder.
Android & iOS:
  1. Swipe left or tap and hold the chat you want to lock or unlock.
  2. Tap more options > Lock Chat or Unlock chat.
Web & Windows
  1. Right click the chat.
  2. Click Lock Chat or Unlock Chat.
When you turn chat lock on, no one else in the chat is notified—and the chat will automatically close when you lock your device. You can also create a secret code, view your locked chats folder and hide locked chats.
If you liked this tip, try turning on disappearing messages. Learn more about how to use disappearing messages.

2. Control who sees your profile photo

When your contacts receive a message from you and they have notifications enabled, your profile photo is displayed in their notification, unless you decide to adjust your privacy settings.
To edit who can see your profile photo:
Android
  1. Tap more options > Settings > Privacy > Profile photo.
  2. Choose Everyone, My contacts, My contacts except…, or Nobody.
iOS
  1. Tap Settings > Privacy > Profile Photo.
  2. Choose Everyone, My contacts, My contacts except…, or Nobody.
Learn more about why someone’s profile photo, last seen and online, about information, stories, or read receipts might not be visible to you.

3. Secure your account with Face ID, Touch ID, or Fingerprint

As an additional, optional security measure, you can use app lock on WhatsApp so only you can access it. When turned on, you must use Fingerprint or face recognition (Android), Touch ID or Face ID (iOS) or password (Web), to unlock WhatsApp. You can still reply to messages from notifications and answer calls if WhatsApp is locked.
Learn how to turn app lock on and off on Android, iOS or Web.

4. Send media and voice messages more privately

You can send personal photos, videos and voice messages that disappear from a chat after the recipient has opened them once. This is known as 'view once'.
View once photos and videos won’t be saved to the recipient’s Photos or Gallery. Recipients also won’t be able to take a screenshot or screen recording of your view once media.
Learn how to send and open view once media and voice messages on iOS and Android.

5. Choose who can see your status

You can choose who can see your status by adding them to your status audience or mentioning people or groups in your status. By default, your status updates are shared with all your contacts.
Note:
  • People or groups you mention in your status can reshare it to their audience.
  • You can mention people who aren’t in your contacts.
Learn how to change your status privacy and share status updates to Facebook Stories and other apps.

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