WhatsApp Privacy Settings You Should Turn On Today

WhatsApp already encrypts your messages and calls end to end, but encryption only protects what travels between you and the people you talk to. Who can see your profile photo, who can add you to groups, and whether a stranger can take over your number are controlled by settings that many people never open. This guide goes through the privacy and security options in the official WhatsApp app that are worth reviewing, and explains what each one actually changes.

Paths below are for Android and start from the three-dot menu → Settings. WhatsApp renames and moves options from time to time, so if something is not exactly where described, look for it in the same section or use the search icon in Settings.

Control what others can see

Open Settings → Privacy. The first group of options decides how much of your profile is visible.

• Last seen & online. Choose who can see when you were last active: Everyone, My contacts, My contacts except specific people, or Nobody. You can also set Who can see when I'm online to "Same as last seen". Note that if you hide your last seen, you will not see other people's either.
• Profile photo. Limiting this to My contacts stops people who only have your number from seeing your picture.
• About. The short line under your name. The same visibility choices apply.
• Status. Choose which contacts can view your status updates, or share only with selected people.
• Read receipts. Turning this off means others will not see blue ticks when you read their messages, but you will not see theirs either. Read receipts are always sent in group chats.

A sensible starting point for most people is My contacts for last seen, profile photo and about.

Decide who can reach you

• Groups. Under Settings → Privacy → Groups, set who can add you to groups. Choosing My contacts or My contacts except… means anyone else has to send you an invitation, which you can ignore. This is one of the most effective ways to cut down on spam groups.
• Silence unknown callers. Under Settings → Privacy → Calls, turn on Silence unknown callers. Calls from numbers not in your contacts will not ring, but they still appear in your call list and notifications so you do not miss anything important.
• Blocking and reporting. To block someone, open the chat, tap the menu, then More → Block. To report a spam or abusive account, use More → Report in the same menu. You can review everyone you have blocked under Settings → Privacy → Blocked contacts.

Protect your account itself

These settings matter more than any visibility option, because they protect you if someone tries to register your number on another phone.

1. Go to Settings → Account → Two-step verification.
2. Tap Turn on and create a six-digit PIN that is not easy to guess.
3. Add an email address so you can reset the PIN if you forget it. Confirm the email when WhatsApp sends the link.
4. WhatsApp may ask for this PIN from time to time. Enter it to keep it fresh in your memory.

With two-step verification on, someone who obtains your verification code by text still needs the PIN. Never share your six-digit registration code or your PIN with anyone, including people claiming to be from WhatsApp.

Next, review your Linked devices. From the main menu, tap Linked devices to see every computer, browser or tablet connected to your account. If you see anything you do not recognise, tap it and choose Log out. It is a good habit to check this list every so often.

Keep sensitive chats private

• Disappearing messages. In any chat, open the contact or group info and tap Disappearing messages to have new messages removed after a set time. You can set a default for all new chats under Settings → Privacy → Default message timer. Remember that recipients can still take screenshots or forward messages before they disappear.
• Chat lock. Long-press a chat (or open the contact info) and choose Lock chat. Locked chats move to a separate folder that opens only with your phone's fingerprint, face unlock or screen lock, and their message previews are hidden in notifications.
• Privacy checkup. Near the top of Settings → Privacy you may see Privacy checkup, a guided tour of the main options above. It is a quick way to review everything in one pass.

A note on modified WhatsApp apps

Some unofficial WhatsApp clients advertise extra privacy switches. They are not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta, using them can lead to your account being restricted or banned, and you cannot independently verify how they handle your data. The settings in this guide are all built into the official app and are the safest way to improve your privacy.

Key takeaways

• Review Settings → Privacy and set last seen, profile photo and about to My contacts as a baseline.
• Limit who can add you to groups and turn on Silence unknown callers to reduce spam.
• Turn on two-step verification with a PIN and a recovery email; never share your codes.
• Check Linked devices regularly and log out anything unfamiliar.
• Use disappearing messages and chat lock for conversations that need extra privacy.