- All the information we send or receive may be exposed to third parties if we do not take the necessary precautions.
- Luckily, WhatsApp, the world's most popular messaging app, is one of the most secure. Although it can be improved a little more.
Who does not use WhatsApp? Honestly, very few people probably don't use this app, even a few times a day. This is the app that came to change everything and that helped us put the old-fashioned SMS aside. But at a time when internet security is so important, it is essential that we follow certain tips to improve the privacy settings of WhatsApp Web , the desktop version of the app..
Improve WhatsApp Web privacy settings
WhatsApp web security and privacy features
WhatsApp always takes into consideration the security and privacy of its users. Regardless of whether we use the mobile application or the online web version . It is precisely for this reason that the platform focuses on end-to-end encryption, as long as we have the latest updates and patches, we will be protected against the monitoring of calls, messages and payments.
Privacy & Security
We have already mentioned the enormous importance of privacy and security for WhatsApp. To keep in touch, update something about our business, chat in a group, etc. WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption that will protect our information..
Everything is encrypted: messages, voice calls, video calls, multimedia, etc.
Private messages
WhatsApp makes use of end-to-end encryption. This is responsible for ensuring that only we and the person receiving the message can see and hear them. Not even the same company is able to listen or see the messages that we send between contacts. This is automatically enabled, so no configuration is required..
Messages on business accounts
All messages are protected with encryption. This means that even with a business account, the messages we send will be secure. Although it does not prevent the other person from taking screenshots of the messages or forwarding them.
Payments
Currently, not all countries have the option to make payments on WhatsApp enabled. However, in those countries where this feature is supported, WhatsApp ensures that payments can be made between accounts at financial institutions. Although the bank and card details we use are stored and encrypted in highly secure networks, many financial institutions require some information about these transactions.
Which means that, although the bank details are encrypted. The information we send to a financial institution will not be end-to-end encrypted.
Control
WhatsApp, like many other applications, gives us the ability to control who can send us messages. In this way, we have the option of blocking a person or company to avoid receiving their messages.
How to make WhatsApp Web more secure
The first thing we will do is log in from WhatsApp Web on our computer, as we normally would. Next, we will go to the upper left corner where we will see three vertical points (they are just above the chats) a menu is displayed when clicked and we will choose Settings.
We scroll down and click on Privacy. Here we have several options to edit and we will see what each of these are for:
- Last Seen: We can choose who sees when we last connected. If we activate this option, we will not be able to see when another person last connected either.
- Profile photo: We will choose who can see the profile photo.
- About: it would be a brief description of our profile
- Read Receipt: Read receipts will always be available in group chats. Although in individual chats it can be activated or deactivated. If it is deactivated, we will not be able to confirm if they have read our messages either.
- Messages that disappear: allows us to establish the possibility that messages are deleted after a certain time. It does not apply to messages we have already received and sent.
- Groups: We can allow who can add us to group chats.
- Blocked contacts: we will see a list of blocked people. Here we can also unlock them.
WhatsApp is an extremely useful application that is currently used by everyone. This allows us to keep in touch without any kind of limitation, as was the case with the old-fashioned SMS, always keeping our privacy as a priority.