WhatsApp – everyone loves and uses this app, but does everyone know the app’s best usage. Do you know how to best use this essential messaging app?
You are probably committing fifteen mistakes detailed below and right now is a good time to open change your WhatsApp lifestyle.
1. Restrict access to your WhatsApp because the app will not
WhatsApp was created at a time when Nokia mobiles were popular and 1G and 2G mobile internet were the latest technology.
The aim of WhatsApp was and is to allow seamless messaging across various platforms. To enable this, by design, WhatsApp is open.
Here we mean that any person who has your mobile number is able to contact you. This much is acceptable.
However, those who are in your address book access your WhatsApp at a greater level.
Now, people move in and out of life. Your mobile address book should also reflect that.
So, in a few minutes from you, open your mobile address book and delete the numbers of people with which are no longer relevant.
Though, if you need their mobile number, then you can block them from your WhatsApp only.
2. Restrict the amount of information you reveal
We need to curb our enthusiasm about posting every detail about ourselves on social media in general and WhatsApp in particular.
Thus, if you are not ready to remove your WhatsApp photo, then at least post one where other people are not included. Next, restrict photo privacy to My Contacts.
Why would you want to show your photograph to everyone?
3. ‘Two-step verification’ enable
SIM swapping is a technically feasible fraud and anyone can become a victim of the same. Sometimes even stealing or swapping the SIM is not required if the OTP used to verify the number can be hacked.
Now, ‘two-step verification’ will prevent anyone from using your WhatsApp. In addition, this will also help you log in case you somehow lock yourself out of your WhatsApp account.
4. WhatsApp lock with Touch ID / Face ID or Fingerprint lock
If you are on Apple, then enhance the security of your app with Touch ID or Face ID and if you are on Android then do the same with Fingerprint lock.
Set the timeout depending upon your usage before the app goes into standby mode.
5. Status message hide from not-relevant people
This follows from an earlier point. We love to share status messages.
However, it is suggested that you hide your WhatsApp status from people who are no longer relevant in your life.
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If there are people in your WhatsApp contact list to whom you do not want to share status, then restrict visibility of the status using global settings or per-status settings.
Why? Because what purpose does sharing status with your old maid from five years ago achieve?
6. Restrict permission to add you to groups
WhatsApp has an option to allow anyone to add you to any group.
It is recommended that you restrict this option to only contacts.
Otherwise any random person can add you to group and being associated to random groups may not be safe.
7. No backup of chats on unencrypted servers
WhatsApp allows option to backup chats, photos, videos, on Google Drive or iCloud.
Now, these services are not as secure as end-to-end encryption (of WhatsApp, Telegram, and other such services) is.
Thus, all your private messages are liable to be exposed if they are backed up on insecure servers.
8. Don’t contribute to sharing of fake, sensational, or unverified news or adult content
The Indian government is tightening its rules and policies to curb the tsunami of fake news and adult content on the Internet.
Also, it is worth remembering that the authorities like police have legal right to search through your messages if they arrange the paperwork to do so.
Thus, it is best advised to keep your WhatsApp clean and tidy and not play a part in this menace of online garbage.
9. Use disappearing messages
Usually, there is not much point in keeping message around forever, unless you are specifically archiving important data like username password or photos, videos of loved ones.
Conclusion
Thus, it is recommended that you enable disappearing messages and have WhatsApp remove the messages after seven days.
Thus, turbocharge your WhatsApp and elevate yourself to a pro WhatsApp user with these neat optimisations and share the same with your loved ones to enhance their security while using this awesome messaging app.