Mistakes to Avoid to Maintain Security and Privacy When Using WhatsApp
WhatsApp is one of the most popular chat applications in the world, and most people use it to communicate with friends and colleagues. This application provides a distinctive chat experience, and Meta is constantly developing it by adding new features that improve the user experience and maintain the security of their data.
However, there are some mistakes that many people make while using WhatsApp that can compromise the security and privacy of their data , so it is important to know the mistakes that should be avoided to benefit from this application without being exposed to the problem of privacy violation or fraud.
Here are 5 mistakes you should avoid when using WhatsApp:
1- Allow anyone to add you to a group:
WhatsApp group chats are a great way to stay in touch with family and friends at work, but it’s important to know how to stay safe in WhatsApp groups. One of the best ways to do this is to control who can add you to groups, by following these steps:
- Open the WhatsApp application, then go to Settings, then Privacy.
- Go to the Groups tab.
- Select My contacts or My contacts except.. to control who can add you to a group.
- If you choose the latter option, you can select everyone you want to block from adding you to any group.
2- Responding to messages from people you don’t know:
One of the easiest ways to avoid phishing and other security threats is to not respond to anyone you don’t know. This is not just true for WhatsApp, but for other instant messaging apps as well.
Every time you receive a message from someone you don’t know, delete the message, and if the person continues to send more messages, block them. When you receive scam messages on WhatsApp, it is also important not to click on any links included in the message; they are often malicious and can lead to major problems such as identity theft.
3- Redirecting fraudulent and untrusted messages:
Before forwarding any message you receive to other people within WhatsApp, you should verify that it is safe, especially if it comes from someone you don't know, as the message may contain fraudulent links that your friends can click on and get into trouble.
4- Make profile information public:
Knowing how to make WhatsApp more secure and private will help keep your personal information safe and reduce the chance of identity theft.
One of the ways that you can follow to enhance the security and privacy of your data on WhatsApp is to not make your profile information public, and you can do this by changing the privacy settings by following these steps:
- Go to the Settings section in WhatsApp, then go to the Privacy tab.
- Click on the About option, then change the setting from Everyone to any of the other available options, including:
- My contacts.
- My contacts except..
- Nobody
Under the Privacy tab, you can also adjust the settings for who can see your profile picture and when you're available on WhatsApp.
5- Not adding an additional verification method:
One of the most important steps you can take to enhance the security of your WhatsApp account is to use Touch ID or Face ID on your phone to prevent anyone from accessing your phone.
Also try locking the WhatsApp application itself so that no one who has access to your phone can open the application. You can learn how to do this on iPhones in the article: “ How to lock and hide applications on iPhones .”
In addition, you must also set up a PIN to access your account by following these steps:
- Go to the Privacy section in WhatsApp , then choose Account.
- Click on the Two-step verification option.
- Tap Turn On to create your own WhatsApp PIN