WhatsApp privacy settings on iPhone: Medium level

Learn how to change your privacy settings on WhatsApp using iPhone. These steps adjust your privacy and security settings to Medium level protection.
Kaspersky Lab
29.10.2020
7 minutes
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How to protect your account against getting hacked

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Check the list of connected devices

What for: To keep strangers from reading your correspondence.

If you open the Web version of WhatsApp on a public computer and forget to log out of it, strangers will be able to read your correspondence and send messages on your behalf. To prevent this, check the list of active devices in the mobile app and terminate the sessions you don’t need:

  1. Open Settings by tapping the cogwheel icon in the bottom right corner of the screen;
  2. Go to the Linked devices section;
  3. If the QR code scanner opens, your list of connected devices is empty;
  4. In the list of connected devices, select the device that you are not currently using and tap Log out;

Enable two-step verification

What for: So you definitely don’t get hacked.

Two-step verification helps secure your data when cybercriminals copy your SIM card or attempt to intercept the text message with the confirmation code. With this option enabled, WhatsApp can request a six-digit PIN when anyone attempts to confirm your phone number.

To enable PIN-based two-step verification:

  1. Open Settings by tapping the cogwheel icon in the bottom right corner of the screen;
  2. Go to the Account section;
  3. Select the Two-step verification item;
  4. Tap Enable;
  5. Enter the six-digit PIN that WhatsApp will require when an attempt is made to confirm the phone number; Important! Do not use a simple combination that can be guessed easily, such as 123456 or 111111;
  6. Enter the same six-digit PIN again and tap Next;
  7. Enter your e-mail address. If you forget the PIN, a PIN reset link will be sent to this address;
  8. Tap Next;
  9. Enter the same e-mail address again and tap Done.

WhatsApp does not verify the e-mail address that you enter for purposes of resetting the PIN. So be sure to specify an actual e-mail address. If you enter a bogus address, you will lose access to your account for a week after switching to a new device. After the week elapses, you will be able to confirm your number. However, any messages you receive during those seven days will be lost.

You can change the PIN or e-mail address or disable this feature at any time. To do so, go to the Two-step verification section and select the relevant menu item.

Downside: WhatsApp will prompt you from time to time to enter your PIN while you use the app.

Enable verification with biometric data

What for: An added level of protection against unauthorized access.

WhatsApp can prompt you for Touch ID or Face ID login confirmation. You can enable this feature if other people have access to your phone and you don’t want them to read your correspondence:

  1. Open Settings by tapping the cogwheel icon in the bottom right corner of the screen;
  2. Go to the Account section;
  3. Select Privacy;
  4. Tap Screen lock;
  5. Select Touch ID or Face ID as the verification method;
  6. Select when the verification will be required after the screen gets locked:
  7. Instantly
  8. After 1 minute
  9. After 15 minutes
  10. After 1 hour


How to prevent your personal data from being exposed

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Delete your account before changing your phone number

What for: To prevent the next owner of the number from accessing your correspondence.

The WhatsApp account is linked to a phone number. When you change the number, the system creates a new account. The account linked to your old number will remain active for 45 more days from the time of the last launch of the app. Your old number will have a new owner sooner or later, and if they log in to WhatsApp, they will see your profile photo and account details. If you do not want strangers to access this information, use the number change feature:

  1. Open Settings by tapping the cogwheel icon in the bottom right corner of the screen;
  2. Go to the Account section;
  3. Select Change number;
  4. Read the instructions and tap Next;
  5. Enter the old and new phone numbers;
  6. Tap Next;
  7. If necessary, enable the Notify my contacts option and select the contacts to be notified about your number change:
  8. All contacts
  9. Contacts I have chats with
  10. Tap Configure… to manually select the users you need. Bear in mind that contacts in groups that you manage will receive a notification anyway
  11. Tap Done and confirm your number;
  12. If the system prompts you for a two-step verification PIN, enter it;

The number change feature lets you import your profile info and settings into the new account. You will also retain access to your chat history, but only for as long as you use the same device.

Note that if you have not logged into WhatsApp for more than 45 days and then activated your account with the old phone number on a new device, the service will automatically remove all account info tied to this number.

Stop showing photos and videos in the Photo app

What for: To prevent files from chats from mixing with other media files on the phone.

By default, photos and videos you receive in WhatsApp are stored in the phone memory. They are displayed in the Photo app together with other media files. Since files from your correspondence can be private, we recommend disabling this feature.

To stop showing photos and videos from WhatsApp in the Photo app:

  1. Open Settings by tapping the cogwheel icon in the bottom right corner of the screen;
  2. Go to the Chats section;
  3. Disable the Save to Camera Roll option.

To remove saved media files from the device:

  1. Open Settings by tapping the cogwheel icon in the bottom right corner of the screen;
  2. Go to the Storage and Data section;
  3. Select Storage;
  4. Select the contact whose correspondence data you want to remove;
  5. Tap Manage…;
  6. Select the type of data to remove;
  7. Tap Clear and confirm your selection.

Note that you will then have to download files from the chat to be able to view them. You will not be able to see them if your contact removes them on their device.

Limit the visibility of your info

What for: To make your info visible only to you or your contacts.

Any person who has your phone number can view your WhatsApp profile info, message read receipts, as well as your online status and the time of your last visit. If you do not want strangers to view this info, you can hide it or restrict viewing.

To limit the visibility of your personal info:

  1. Open Settings by tapping the cogwheel icon in the bottom right corner of the screen;
  2. Go to the Account section;
  3. Select Privacy;
  4. Successively tap Last seen, Profile photo, and About and select My contacts or Nobody in each list;
  5. Disable the Read receipts option.

Keep in mind that read receipts cannot be disabled in group chats.

Downside: By disabling the display of read receipts, you will also stop seeing read receipts from other users.

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How to defeat spammers and trolls

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Restrict contacts from sending you messages

What for: To keep out spam.

Any WhatsApp user who knows your phone number can send you a message. If you have been targeted by fraudsters or spammers, you can block the unwanted users. You can also block users from whom you do not want to receive messages for any other reason.

Blocked users will not know you’ve blacklisted them. They will not be able to call you or view your status updates, and any messages they send will be marked as undelivered. You will not see those messages at all.

To block a user:

  1. Open Settings by tapping the cogwheel icon in the bottom right corner of the screen;
  2. Go to the Account section;
  3. Select Privacy;
  4. Tap Blocked;
  5. Tap Add new… and select the contact you wish to block.

After you block a user, you will not see their status updates or the time when the user was last online.

To unblock a user, tap the user’s name or phone number in the list and then tap Unblock .


How to get rid of unwanted notifications

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Disable sound alerts

What for: To get distracted less.

If you correspond often in WhatsApp, sound alerts about every new message can get annoying. You can disable sound alerts for chats with specific users, group chats, or all messages.

To disable sound alerts for a specific chat:

  1. Select a chat on the Chats tab;
  2. Tap the chat name at the top of the screen;
  3. Tap Wallpaper & sound;
  4. Tap Default (none);
  5. Tapping Mute, you can select the amount of time for which you want to disable notification tones.

To disable sound alerts for all group chats:

  1. Open Settings by tapping the cogwheel icon in the bottom right corner of the screen;
  2. Go to the Notifications section;
  3. In the Group notifications section, tap Sound;
  4. Tap None.

To disable sound alerts for all messages:

  1. Open Settings by tapping the cogwheel icon in the bottom right corner of the screen;
  2. Go to the Notifications section;
  3. In the Message notifications section, tap Sound;
  4. Tap None.


What would have happened if you had chosen another privacy level?


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Main / WhatsApp privacy settings on iPhone: Medium level
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