Millions of people use WhatsApp but more often than not, they make three big mistakes.
To avoid those pitfalls, here are three quick tips that anyone using the app should know and follow.
Turn two-step authentication on
Not using two-factor authentication for your WhatsApp account means you are exposed to potential security threats.
Two-step verification requires you to enter a PIN when attempting to set up the account on a new device, providing an extra layer of security.
To turn two-step authentication on, go to Settings in WhatsApp and select Account. Then select Two-Step Verification and hit Turn On.
You will need to enter a desired PIN twice for verification and add your email address for recovery in case you forget it.
With this additional step, anyone trying to add your WhatsApp account to another phone will have to type in the PIN before taking any further steps.
Automatically delete texts
WhatsApp recently added a feature that notifies users on a set duration when their texts will automatically self-delete.
This was created to help boost user privacy by wiping away old messages.
To activate this, go to Settings > Account > Privacy and then turn on the Default Message Timer option, which offers four duration options: 24 hours, 7 days, 90 days, or Off.
However, this system isn’t perfect – remember that someone could still take a screenshot of your texts and keep it as evidence even after they delete it from the app.
So if you want to truly ensure complete privacy for personal information and messages consider not sending it in the first place – unless you trust the recipients implicitly.
Auto-saving of media files
To ensure that media files aren’t auto-saving to your phone storage on WhatsApp, change the settings in “Storage and Data”.
To do this, open up WhatsApp, click on “Settings” then look for “Storage and Data” followed by clicking “Chats”, and finally turn off the toggle marked “Save to Camera Roll”.
If you prefer disabling auto-saving on an individual conversation basis, simply go on the desired chat, click its title at the top of the page then select the “Save to Camera Roll” option.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
