For example, WhatsApp betrays that you have a new phone (and you can’t turn it off)

Have you changed smartphone? There is a good chance that WhatsApp has already betrayed your contacts that you have a new phone. That’s how it is.

Security code in WhatsApp

The new iPhones of the year are in stores! Have you just bought a new phone? Or are you going to change smartphone soon? In that case, WhatsApp will probably just go to your next device. Transferring WhatsApp has become increasingly easier with the help of a backup, but also has a disadvantage. WhatsApp almost immediately betrays that you have a new phone.

In both private and group discussions you will regularly receive reports about a changed security code. You get these notifications in conversations that are encrypted end-to-end, because these chats are provided with a security code. This code is linked to the device on which you use WhatsApp. Do you log in to WhatsApp with a new phone? Then the security code changes for all end-to-end encrypted conversations.

WhatsApp betrays your new phone

To inform users of the changed security code, they receive a yellow security report in every conversation with a new code. Have you logged in to WhatsApp on your new iPhone or another smartphone? In that case, all your contacts automatically receive a security report in WhatsApp. In this way, WhatsApp almost immediately betrays you using a new phone.

Do you want to prevent other users from receiving a security report? Then we have bad news, because you can only disable these yellow notifications for yourself. It is not possible to turn off the security reports for other users, you can only do that for your own account. Do you never see these security reports, but do you want to receive them? You switch them on as follows:

Security reports in WhatsApp

With the security reports, WhatsApp gives an indication to users that you use a new one or at least other than before. Conversely, the same applies if you receive a yellow security report in a private or group discussion. You then immediately know that the contact person in question switched to another device. Do you find these notifications disturbing? Then switch off the security reports in WhatsApp.

It is advisable to leave these notifications enabled, so that you are aware of it if the security code of a contact person has changed. Certainly if the WhatsApp account of one of your contacts has fallen into the wrong hands, the security reports are a good indication of whether you are still in contact with the right person. Have you received such a report and has someone not changed telephone? In that case, check via another application (or in real life) whether the person still has control over his or her account in WhatsApp.

More about WhatsApp

The security reports in WhatsApp have a advantage and disadvantage. It is a good indication to check whether you are still in contact with the right person, but they also betray directly via WhatsApp that you use a new phone. You can disable the security reports in your own chats, but your contacts will still receive a notification if you change the device.

Each user on WhatsApp can only disable security reports for his or her own conversations, so that no notifications about a changed security code appear. Certainly now that the new iPhones from 2025 have been released, there is a good chance that you will encounter the security reports more often. This way you immediately know that someone uses WhatsApp on a new phone, the same contacts know the same about your WhatsApp account. Do you want to know more about the messaging service? View all about WhatsApp here:

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