3 WhatsApp settings you must disable (for your privacy)

Be careful if you regularly use WhatsApp! You must disable three settings in WhatsApp for your own privacy. This is them!

Privacy in WhatsApp

WhatsApp regularly releases updates, bringing new features to the messaging service. Many of the settings are turned on by default in WhatsApp, but that is not always the best for your privacy. Do you want to ensure that your privacy in WhatsApp remains as protected as possible? Then disable these three WhatsApp settings immediately!

View more WhatsApp features here, the text continues below the video:

1. Disable link previews

WhatsApp is regularly used to forward web links. These are clickable, so you can go to the website with one tap on the screen. The advantage is that you do not have to search for the web page yourself, but that also has a disadvantage. WhatsApp automatically displays a preview of the link, allowing your IP address to be tracked by these external websites. Don’t you want that? Then adjust this setting:

Have you disabled the link previews in WhatsApp? From now on you will no longer see a preview when links are shared in WhatsApp. This prevents web pages from tracking your IP address without you having visited the website. Also check a web link in WhatsApp carefully, so that you are sure that you are not dealing with spam. Are you in doubt? Do not click on the link to ensure that your data remains safe.

2. Show preview

WhatsApp not only shows standard link examples, the content of incoming messages is also automatically visible. Have you enabled notifications in WhatsApp? A preview of the messages will then be visible in the notifications and in the Notification Center. This way, others can read your incoming messages, for example when you show something on your phone or when you are connected to CarPlay. This is how you prevent:

• Open WhatsApp;
• Go to the ‘You’ tab at the bottom right of the screen;
• Tap ‘Notifications’;
• Turn off Show Preview.

By turning off the preview, your WhatsApp notifications will look different than you are used to. The content of all messages is no longer visible, instead you only see who sent the message to you. For group conversation notifications, the sender’s name and the group name are visible. This is an important setting to improve your privacy in WhatsApp, because it ensures that no one secretly reads when you receive notifications.

3. Chat requests via external chats

European regulations force Meta to open WhatsApp to other messaging services. The company has now done this, allowing you to receive messages from users from other chat apps. You will soon no longer have to use WhatsApp to send a message to a WhatsApp account, but that also has a disadvantage. Contacts you have blocked on WhatsApp can still reach you via other messaging services. Therefore, disable this feature:

• Open WhatsApp;
• Tap the ‘You’ tab at the bottom right of the screen;
• Go to ‘Account’;
• Choose ‘External chats’;
• Turn off ‘Chat requests from external chats’.

Have you disabled chat requests via external chats? Your privacy in WhatsApp is better protected, because users of other messaging services can no longer send you chats. This way you can be sure that blocked contacts and numbers cannot reach you via other channels. In addition, your number is better protected, because it cannot be used to contact you in applications such as BirdyChat.

More WhatsApp features

With these WhatsApp settings you ensure that your privacy remains well protected. Other well-known features include online and last seen status. Check this every once in a while so that you know which contacts have access to this personal data. Especially now that the risk of online fraud is increasing, it is wise to shield and secure your account in WhatsApp as best as possible. Would you like to know more about this? Then sign up for our newsletter and follow us TikTok!