Personal conversations are held on all social networks and messaging services. They are often a virtual space for sharing opinions, confidential employment information and much more. It is therefore very important to take precautions Take care of both privacy and security. In this note we will go through the recommended settings to protect both aspects.

Privacy

WhatsApp has a special section for privacy. To access it you need to click on the three vertical dots at the top edge of the app, then click Settings / Account / Privacy. Once you find it there, you will see the options below.

Block access to the app with your fingerprint: This option, located at the bottom of the menu, is used to activate fingerprint lock. This means that every time the app is opened, the system requires the user to place a fingerprint on the sensor to verify its identity. A good tool, especially if you know that a mobile can get into someone’s hands.

Hide last connection time: By enabling this alternative, contacts will not be seen during the last connection. The person who activated this setting will also not be able to see this information. Here you can choose to restrict this option to everyone, just contacts, except contacts (…) or anyone.

Limit the display profile picture: This item, in the second privacy menu, allows you to choose who will see the profile picture. The options are: everyone, no one or except my contacts (…). In the third alternative, the customer will be able to choose specifically from which person or persons he wants to hide this information. Here it is suggested to avoid the “everyone” option so that the image is not visible to anyone who just has a number.

Choose who sees Privacy Countries: As its name suggests, it lets you choose which people will be able to see what is uploaded to the states. Alternatives are: My Contacts / My Contacts Except (…) / Only Share (…). The choice here will depend on the content and purpose of the uploaded material. If you are trying to reach the widest possible audience, then you should include “My Contacts”. If you want to share a personal photo or message only with friends or relatives, then you will have to choose between the other two.

Read receipts: Here you can turn it on or off Famous blue mites Indicates whether the message was read. If you want to take maximum care of your privacy and take the time to respond to messages, it is best to turn off this feature. Here, as in the last connection, if the user turns off the alternative, then he will not be able to see if the recipients of his messages have seen his messages.

Temporary messages: This feature, introduced in 2020, allows you to customize messages so that they disappear after sending. Options are: 24 hours, 7 days or 90 days. It is a tool that adds a layer of security and can be useful for use in private or group chats where sensitive information is known to be shared frequently. However, it is important to know that no matter how often you use this tool, it is impossible to leak material as other users could capture screenshots of conversations.

Option for groups: Here the user can choose who will be able to add it to the created group chats. One option is to allow everyone to do so, which is a default alternative; Other alternatives are: My Contacts / My Contacts (Except). This is a feature that should be enabled if the user prefers the ability to opt out of certain groups.

Block contacts: In this section you will find all the blocked contacts. Contacts can be blocked from the same chat where messages are received or even added to a phone number from here. Blocked contacts will no longer be able to send messages.

Send photos and videos that can only be viewed once: This option, unlike all the previous ones, is not in the privacy section, but is activated from each chat. This is a tool that allows you to send photos or videos that are automatically deleted after viewing.

How to use this tool? Enter the conversation, click the paper clip icon, and select Send Media as usual. After adding a photo or video, you will see a small virtual button next to this content with the number 1 in the center.. By clicking this button, the recipient will only be able to view the content once and then it will be automatically deleted.

The sender will be able to find out if the contact has opened the item, as a message will appear in its chat saying “Open”. If it is sent in a group chat, it will also be possible to find out who saw or received the content by clicking on the message.

safety

Two-step confirmation: This is the most important tool for taking care of the security of the application as it allows you to add a second instance to verify the identity of the user. This option is available inside Settings / Account. This is the third alternative in this section. There you can set a PIN and email address that you need to remember to log in to your account if you forget your PIN.

Display security messages on your phone: Encrypted chats between sender and recipient have their own security code, which is used to verify that calls and messages sent in this chat are fully encrypted. This code is found on the contact information screen in QR code format as well as a 60-digit code. The codes are unique to each chat, and participants in each conversation can compare them to confirm that the messages sent there are fully encrypted, as explained on the official messaging service website.

Sometimes it can change the security code used in end-to-end encryption, and this usually happens when a user or one of their contacts re-installs WhatsApp or switches phones. To receive notifications when changing security codes, do the following: Go to Settings Account / Security And activate the option there Display security messages.

Enable end-to-end encryption in backups: WhatsApp has had end-to-end encryption in chats since 2016, but until recently it did not have this option in backups. In October 2021 Added this security tool.

Go to activate it Settings / Chats / Backup And there activate the option that says Back to end backup. When you do this, you need to follow the steps to create your own or automatically generated key. It is important to know that when this option is enabled, if you later change your mobile and want to restore saved chats, you will need to remember this password.

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