You’re Using WhatsApp Wrong – the SIX biggest mistakes you need to avoid

WHATSAPP seems easy enough – but are you making some big mistakes?

We’ve rounded up some of the simplest mistakes to watch out for.

1

Whatsapp lock

Lock yours Whatsapp separate to your iPhone is very important.

This means that people using your phone cannot read your texts.

To set this up you need to go to your WhatsApp settings.

Then click on “Account” and then on “Privacy”.

From here you can either turn on the “Screen lock” using Touch ID or Face ID.

You can also select a duration when the ID will be required again.

WhatsApp self-deleting texts

WhatsApp also has a recently added feature that does that automatically self-destruct new texts after a day.

The new update aims to improve your privacy – by destroying old WhatsApp messages.

You can set the disappearance of messages to automatically turn on for all new chats — without affecting existing conversations.

Also added two new durations for disappearing messages, 24 hours and 90 days.

So you can now choose from a total of four options: 24 hours, 7 days, 90 days or off.

Go to Settings > Account > Privacy and then enable the default message timer.

This feature was only introduced a few weeks ago, so make sure you’ve updated WhatsApp to the latest version.

Keep in mind that this system is not perfect.

Someone could still take screenshots or copy your texts to record them.

So if you really want to keep something off the internet, don’t post it unless you’re sending a message to someone you absolutely trust.

Do not send anyone your WhatsApp code

There is a clever scam you need to know about.

The attack revolves around the six-digit verification code that WhatsApp issues when you want to regain access to your account.

It also involves a hacker taking control of one of your contact’s WhatsApp accounts and sending you messages pretending to be them.

The hacker will Message pretending to be your friend Around the same time, you receive a text message or email from WhatsApp with a verification code that the hacker requested by impersonating you.

This code is only given when you try to make changes to your account.

The hacker posing as your friend will pretend that he accidentally asked for the verification code to be sent to your number and will ask you to send it.

You should never share the six-digit code with anyone.

If you do this, the hacker can take over your account.

You will no longer have access to your account and the hacker can try to scam your friends and read your private messages.

If you get a suspicious message from a friend, try calling them to see if you can speak to them in person and check what’s going on.

Make sure your whatsapp does not save all media files to your phone storage.

Open WhatsApp, click “Settings” and then click “Storage and Data”.

Then click on “Chats” and turn off a switch called “Save to Camera Roll”.

You can also prevent the app from downloading media from individual chats.

Just go to the chat you want, click its title at the top and change the settings via the “Save to Camera Roll” option.

Set up two-factor verification

You should now turn on 2-Step Verification.

This is an extra step in verifying your phone number to keep hackers out.

Hackers regularly try to break into WhatsApp accounts.

Hijacking a WhatsApp account is an easy way to gain the trust of your friends and family, which allows for even more sinister scams to be carried out.

To turn on 2-Step Verification, go to Settings > Account and toggle the setting to On.

Lock down your group settings

There is a setting to prevent complete strangers from adding you to groups.

Go to WhatsApp Settings, then Account, then Privacy, then Groups.

Now you can Choose who can send you group invites.

Your options are Everyone, My Contacts, and My Contacts Except.

The first option is the most open, so anyone with your phone number can invite you.

So it is best to choose one of the other two options.

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