5 privacy features you should enable on WhatsApp

Indian Express

04-05-2025

WhatsApp offers several built-in privacy features to help users protect their personal information and conversations. If you are concerned about unauthorised access to your profile, unwanted group invites, or message visibility on WhatsApp, all you need to do is enable the right settings.
Here are five key privacy features, including some advanced options, that every privacy-conscious WhatsApp user should enable to keep their chats secure and their account protected.
Advanced chat privacy
Advanced Chat Privacy in WhatsApp refers to features that go beyond basic privacy settings like hiding your last seen or profile photo, and provide robust protection for specific conversations and user interactions. These are particularly useful if you're concerned about sensitive chats being seen or accessed.
Once enabled on an individual or a group chat, this feature prevents users from exporting the chats and also downloading the media to the device gallery.
To enable Advanced Chat Privacy on WhatsApp, tap the chat name, then select ' Advanced Chat Privacy '.
End-to-end encrypted backups
End-to-end encrypted backup in WhatsApp is a feature that secures your chat history and media stored in cloud backups (Google Drive on Android or iCloud on iPhone) with end-to-end encryption. This means only you can access the backup, and not even WhatsApp, Google, or Apple can read its contents.
The encryption uses a unique password or a 64-digit encryption key. This added layer of security protects your chat content from unauthorised access, even in the event that your cloud storage is compromised.
To enable end-to-end encrypted backup in WhatsApp, open the app and go to Settings & gt; Chats > Chat Backup. Tap on End-to-end Encrypted Backup, then select Turn On. You will be prompted to either set a password or use a 64-digit encryption key to secure the backup. Once you've chosen your preferred method and confirmed it, WhatsApp will begin encrypting and uploading your backup to the cloud.
Control who can add you to groups
This feature lets you decide who is allowed to add you to group chats. By default, anyone with your phone number can add you to a group, but this setting gives you more control and helps prevent spam or unwanted group additions.
You can choose from three options: 'Everyone,' 'My Contacts,' or 'My Contacts Except,' which lets you exclude specific people. If someone who isn't allowed to add you tries to do so, they'll be prompted to send you an invitation instead, which you can accept or ignore.
To enable this feature, go to Settings > Privacy > Groups in WhatsApp and select your preferred option.
Silence unknown callers
A privacy feature that automatically mutes calls from phone numbers not saved in your contacts. While the calls still appear in your call log and notifications, your phone won't ring or vibrate when such calls come in.
This feature helps reduce spam, scams, and unwanted disturbances without blocking the caller entirely. You can still see missed calls from unknown numbers and call them back if needed.
To enable it, go to Settings > Privacy > Calls and toggle on Silence Unknown Callers.
View once for photos and videos
This WhatsApp feature allows you to send photos or videos that can only be viewed once by the recipient. After the media is viewed, it disappears from the chat and cannot be replayed, saved, or forwarded. This feature adds an extra layer of privacy, ensuring that sensitive content isn't stored or shared beyond the intended recipient.
To use it, simply send a photo or video in a chat, then tap the '1' icon before sending. The recipient will only be able to view the media once, after which it will no longer be available.