The main objective of WhatsApp is to help people stay connected during disasters and other difficult situations.
Do you think WhatsApp is safe?
As one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, In recent years, it has gained popularity because of its encryption, which makes its chats more secure than others.
After being purchased by Facebook in 2014, WhatsApp was growing in popularity and reaching a global audience. Over one billion people are estimated to use the app daily and send over 65 billion messages. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that security concerns, malware threats, and spam have been appearing on the platform.
Generally, hackers hack WhatsApp accounts by tricking you into granting them access by using social hacking methods.
So here are some rules you need to follow make sure your whatsapp account stays safe.
Table of contents
1, Download Whatsapp Plays tore only
2, Use Official App only
3, Turn on Two Step verification
4, Don’t Click Unwanted links
5, Check Encryption Manually
6, Backup Your Messages
7, Enable fingerprint lock
8, Turn on Privacy settings
9, Beware Of Video calls
10, Whatsapp web
11, Bonus Tips
How to protect whatsapp from hackers
1, Download Whatsapp Plays tore only
Only download WhatsApp from the Google Play store. Don’t download Whatsapp from any website.
Always available for Whatsapp in the playstore you can download it.
Make ensure whatsapp has been updated before opening it. Update Whatsapp frequently. Since your Whatsapp has some bugs, they can fix them. So ,We recommend regularly updating Whatsapp.
2, Use Official App only
Installing Whatsapp unofficially is not recommended. For example, GB WhatsApp, Whatsapp gold, WhatsApp pink, WhatsApp plus, etc. These are similar to Whatsapp, but not officially.
Using third-party apps like GB Whatsapp allows them to access your chat messages and profile information. It’s possible that your number can be blocked if you use unnecessary apps. Once the number has been banned again, you cannot use it. Henceforth, you will officially use Whatsapp.
3, Turn on Two Step verification
Two-factor authentication (two-factor verification) allows WhatsApp users to secure their accounts. Two-step verification is the most important way to protect online accounts.
How to Enable Two step verification
- Firstly openWhatsApp account and go to settings
- Click on the Account option
- Then tap on “Two step verification” option and choose Enable from the next screen.
- Make sure that you remember the WhatsApp Two step verification Six digit passcode.
- Set an email address and confirm it. In case of forgotten passwords, the email address will be used to send a reset pin.
If you enable Two-Step Verification on WhatsApp, the next time you try to log in on a different device it will ask you for the secret passcode. The Six digit passcode is only available if you have memorized it, and no one else can access your WhatsApp account without knowing it.
4, Don’t Click Unwanted links
Are you receiving random links as WhatsApp messages from your contacts? In that case, you should not click on links you find suspicious.
Its’ means that check the content of links carefully when you receive them. Whenever a link is marked suspicious, a pop-up message will appear, highlighting the unusual characters.
Spam messages are easily identified and handled with WhatsApp. When users receive Spam, WhatsApp advises them to block the sender, ignore the message and delete it.
When you share a spam link with your friend you also trick your friend into making a fool of themselves.
5, Check Encryption Manually
Using WhatsApp Messenger, you can message another person using encrypted messages. By using end-to-end encryption, only you and the recipient can see or hear each other, not even WhatsApp.
In addition to text messages, any image, video, document, and anything else you send through the app will be encrypted by E2E.
To verify WhatsApp encryption manually, follow these steps:
- Firstly, click on the contact name of the person with whom you want to verify the encryption.
- Now tap on the three dot menu in top right corner and select “view contact”.
- Then scroll down you will see the Encryption option.
- When you tap on ‘Encryption’ a QR code with numbers will appear on the screen.
- Ensure the contact you want to send the message to have the exact same numbers in their ‘Encryption’ option. These numbers indicate that messages between the two users are end-to-end encrypted.
- If you want to manually scan the QR code, choose the Scan Code option at the bottom right corner of the “Encryption” window.
Finally, E2E keeps your messages protected from Hackers.
6, Backup Your Messages
In WhatsApp, the option for Cloud Backup can be disabled if you think your message data may be compromised in the cloud.
Here are the steps to follow
- Go to setting in your WhatsApp.
- Now Click on the Chats option.
- Then scroll down you will see the Chat backup option.
- Tap on the Chat backup option Backup to Google drive will appear on the screen.
- After that select the settting Never option.
Lastly, if you do so, WhatsApp will never automatically backup your WhatsApp messages.
7, Enable fingerprint lock
If you want to protect your WhatsApp from prying eyes, you can enable the fingerprint lock. Using this feature will ensure you are the only one accessing your account. You can enable it from your phone settings.
To lock WhatsApp with Finger print lock on your smartphone, follow these steps:
- Go to WhatsApp and select Settings.
- Tap Accounts in the menu and select Privacy settings.
- Then scroll down Select the Fingerprintlock at the bottom.
- On the next screen, to ON “Unlock with fingerprint”.
- Then, by confirming your Fingerprint, you’ll be able to lock WhatsApp via your Fingerprint.
- After the process is complete, you will have to scan your fingerprint whenever you open WhatsApp. That way, you are ensuring that your connection is secure.
8, Turn on Privacy settings
Whatsapp offers privacy options which let you decide who can see your information. It would be a good idea to change the settings to “Contacts Only”. Thus, only the contacts saved in your smartphone will be able to see your profile photo visibility, status, phone number, and auto-delete status.
Here are the steps to follow
- Go to settings .
- Tap Accounts in the menu and select Privacy settings.
- Now click the Last seen option.
- On the next screen you will see Everyone, My contacts, My contact expectations & nobody.
- Afterwards, you can select whichever privacy settings you want for WhatsApp.
9, Beware Of Video calls
In order to avoid these scammers, you should not collaborate with anyone you do not know on Whatsapp or take any calls from unknown numbers. Even if you are taking a video call, your face should be covered with a cloth.
In the event that you are exposed to something, you should immediately contact the police.
It is always best to hide your front camera whenever a problem comes up (Unknown calling).
Other platforms like Facebook Messenger, Telegram, or Signal should also follow this principle and not accept any requests from unknown numbers.
10, Whatsapp web
The majority of people nowadays use WhatsApp Web on their office laptops or computers, but sometimes we forget to logout before leaving the office, which is not a safe practice. If anyone is sitting on the same PC as you, they can access all your chats without you even knowing.
So, whenever you leave the office, it is wise to log out of WhatsApp Web. After you log out, you can easily re-login. You simply scan the code.
11, Bonus Tips: What if your phone is lost or theft?
In modern society, phone theft is common, but many users also lose their phones carelessly.
When that happens, make sure you report the loss of your phone to the authorities immediately and use the WhatsApp Contacts page to inform WhatsApp so they can protect your WhatsApp account from being hacked.
Although you have the above features, you still need to be vigilant and responsible enough to protect your phone data.
