WhatsApp is among the widely used instant messengers and its security and privacy can be compromised by hackers. Daily News24 brings you security tips to secure your app beyond WhatsApp’s built-in end-to-end encryption.
- Activate disappearing messages for sensitive conversations.
Although WhatsApp encrypts all chats by default, you may want to ensure that there is no future copy of your conversation. This ensures that even if your device or the recipient’s device falls into the wrong hands, none of your private conversations will be exposed.
All exchanged messages are automatically deleted after a set period of time, with WhatsApp’s disappearing messages feature.
Tap the contact’s name at the top and select Disappearing messages to enable Disappearing messages in a specific chat. Next, specify the time after which a message will be deleted.
- Enable security code change notifications
Using security codes, you can check whether your WhatsApp chats are end-to-end encrypted. You can view these codes as a QR code or a 60-digit number in the contact information screen.
When a new phone or laptop connects to an existing chat, both phones receive a new security code. In addition, WhatsApp can notify you when the security code changes. You can then test the encryption with your friend using a different messenger, ensuring its security.
To activate the security code change notifications, go to WhatsApp > Settings > Account > Security > Show security notifications and flip the toggle to green.
For Android, click Settings > Account > Security Notifications and toggle on Show Security Notifications on This Phone.
- Activate Two-Step Verification
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an intermittent security code to WhatsApp, increasing security by preventing unauthorized access to your data. You can enable 2FA on WhatsApp on all platforms that support it.
WhatsApp 2FA lets you generate a six-digit PIN code that you can easily remember. Important: Include your email address so you can retrieve the code if you forget it. To reduce the possibility of forgetting your code, WhatsApp performs random, periodic checks for it, prompting you to enter it when you open the app. But that isn’t the point of 2FA.
The goal is to prevent someone from accessing your WhatsApp account without your permission, even if they have access to your phone number, as in SIM swap scams.
- Secure WhatsApp With Fingerprint or Face Verification
On Android, you can lock the WhatsApp app by tapping the three-dot menu in the upper right corner, going to Settings > Privacy > Fingerprint lock, and then toggle Unlock with fingerprint. You’ll then be prompted to add a fingerprint, after which you can set the time before WhatsApp automatically locks.
For iOS, go to Settings > Privacy > Screen Lock and toggle on Require Touch ID or Require Face ID. Finally, select the time standby time before WhatsApp automatically locks.
- Use the Official WhatsApp Desktop Apps
To make use of WhatsApp on your computer, you must first connect your phone to WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp desktop apps. To be secure, install the official desktop app. Unlike on Android and iOS, where app stores are strictly regulated, the internet as a whole is less regulated.
As a result, you may be duped into visiting malicious websites masquerading as WhatsApp Web. In the past, there have been reports of hackers developing malicious software and disguising it as WhatsApp desktop apps. These are two common WhatsApp security threats to be aware of.
