It’s one of the best options for keeping conversations private because it has end-to-end encryption for your messages and chat backups, as well as security-focused features like two-step verification and Screen Lock, which requires you to enter your passcode or use a fingerprint (or face) to use the app at all.
This is useful since it’s one of the most widely used messaging applications worldwide, and you can’t just switch to another app if no one else uses it.
The good news is that three new features that increase privacy are now being released.
Hide your online status:
The ability to view someone’s “last seen” time and whether or not they are “online” is quite helpful, but it is less useful if you wish to read messages privately.
However, you will soon have the option of choosing who may view your online status. The functionality, which is a Last Seen update, is available online.
Tap on Settings > Account > Privacy > Last seen and online.
Such possibilities are available. You have the option to alter them whenever you want, so you could quickly set it to Nobody and afterward change it back to Everyone.
This means that you should choose My contacts except… if there are certain persons you want to avoid being seen by. Select Who can see when I’m online, make sure to choose Same as last seen under Who can see who I’m online, and then decide which persons won’t be able to view your status.
It should be noted that if you choose not to publish your last seen or online status, you will not be able to determine whether other users are online or when they were last seen.
Read more: How to make an AI avatar on WhatsApp
Leave groups quietly:
WhatsApp has a lot of groups. You probably belong to at least a handful of them. There comes a moment when you no longer want to be a part of the group, despite the fact that you may block messages from particular groups to minimize distraction.
When you quit a group chat before, everyone in the group received a notification that you had done so. However, you will now see a warning stating that only the group admins will be informed of your departure when you press on the group details (the name of the group at the top of the screen), scroll down, and hit Exit Group.
Simply archive the discussion if you don’t want them to know. Simply swipe left on the group in the list of discussions on an iPhone to accomplish that.
Tap and hold the group chat in that same list on an Android device to archive it.
You may unarchive a conversation whenever you’d like; the function only conceals it so you won’t be able to access it or receive notifications when new posts are made.
Block screenshots:
The option to mark a picture or video as View Once is another useful privacy tool. The receiver can only see the media once before it disappears.
Sensitive information like passwords, passcodes, and bank information are perfect for communicating via this method. Whatever, nothing stood in the way of the recipient capturing a screenshot and preserving the communication for however long they want.
Screenshot blocking is a fresh feature that is still under testing. Simply designate the image or video as View Once, and WhatsApp should prohibit the receiver from taking a screenshot and display a notice informing them they can’t store it. You won’t need to activate any settings to utilize this.
Read more: How to track people on WhatsApp
Even this, though, isn’t a guarantee of privacy as they might still take a picture of the View Once image using a different phone or camera. However, it still adds a pleasant layer of seclusion.
