Top 5 WhatsApp Privacy Features You Should Be Using Right Now
WhatsApp provides a wide range of privacy features that help users keep their conversations and personal data safe. Whether you want to stop strangers from adding you to groups, protect sensitive media, or block spam callers, WhatsApp has you covered with tools designed for privacy-conscious users.
Here are five important privacy features you can activate to gain more control over your WhatsApp experience:
1. Advanced Chat Privacy: Shielding Individual Chats
WhatsApp's Advanced Chat Privacy goes beyond the basic settings like hiding your profile picture or status. This feature enhances protection on a per-chat basis—whether it’s a personal conversation or a group thread.
When turned on, it restricts users from exporting the chat and downloading any media from that conversation to their phone's gallery. This is particularly valuable for protecting sensitive or confidential discussions.
To activate it, open a specific chat, tap the contact or group name at the top, and select "Advanced Chat Privacy."
2. End-to-End Encrypted Backups: Securing Chat History in the Cloud
Even though WhatsApp already encrypts messages during transmission, it also offers end-to-end encrypted backups to keep your chat history and media safe in cloud storage.
This means only you can access your backup—neither WhatsApp, Google, nor Apple can read its content. The encryption is secured with either a custom password or a 64-digit key.
To turn this on, go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > End-to-end Encrypted Backup, then tap Turn On and follow the steps to secure your backup.
3. Restricting Group Additions: Decide Who Can Add You
By default, anyone with your phone number can add you to a WhatsApp group, but the Group Privacy setting allows you to choose who has this permission.
You can select:
- Everyone
- My Contacts
- My Contacts Except… (to exclude specific people)
- If someone tries to add you without permission, they’ll be required to send you an invite link instead.
- To enable it, go to Settings > Privacy > Groups and set your preferred option.
4. Silence Unknown Callers: Cut Down on Spam and Scams
If you're tired of spam or scam calls, WhatsApp allows you to mute calls from unknown numbers. These calls won’t ring or vibrate on your phone, though they’ll still appear in your call log and notifications—giving you the option to return them if necessary.
To enable this, go to Settings > Privacy > Calls, and toggle on Silence Unknown Callers.
5. View Once: Send Self-Destructing Media
With the View Once feature, you can send photos or videos that disappear after being viewed once. This prevents recipients from saving, forwarding, or replaying the media—ideal for sending sensitive or private content.
To use this feature, select a photo or video in a chat, then tap the “1” icon before sending. The media will be automatically deleted after being opened once.
Stay in Control of Your Privacy on WhatsApp
WhatsApp continues to roll out powerful privacy tools that give users control over their data and interactions. By enabling these five features, you can safeguard your conversations, media, and overall account activity from prying eyes and unwanted contact.