On the occasion of Data Privacy Day on January 28, here's a brief overview of WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption and other privacy features that users should take advantage of to secure their messages and media
WhatsApp uses built-in end-to-end encryption to keep messages, photos and videos safe. This keeps the information secure between the sender and receiver, and prevents anyone in between, including WhatsApp, from reading or listening to them
Users can add the same layer of end-to-end encryption to protect their chat backups on iCloud or Google Drive. They can do this by using a password or a 64-digit encryption key
The View Once feature allows secure sharing of photos and videos without leaving a permanent digital record. The app does not allow the viewer to take a screenshot of View Once media
WhatsApp allows users to choose who can see their online status, giving them greater control over their privacy. You can also control the 'Last Seen' status
The Disappearing Messages feature allows users to set messages to disappear after a certain period of time. There's also an option to enable disappearing messages for all or selective chats. This can not only help with privacy but also storage issues
WhatsApp allows users to block accounts and report problematic messages to protect against unwanted communication. The users can also keep the reported messages on the phone for sharing with fact-checkers or law enforcement officials
WhatsApp has a two-step verification feature that offers an extra layer of security to protect users' accounts in case their SIM card is stolen or their phone is compromised
The user has the option to let a specific set of people see their profile photo. You can choose 'Everyone', 'My Contacts', 'My Contacts except' and 'Nobody'
Similar to the 'hide profile photo' the users can also hide their 'Online' status. You can share it with the following: 'Everyone', 'My Contacts', 'My Contacts except' or 'Nobody'
Story by: Danny D’cruze
Designed by: Mohsin