WhatsApp: To keep your WhatsApp account safe, turn on these 8 important features immediately..

WhatsApp Security Features: WhatsApp is currently the most widely used messaging app in the world, but its popularity also makes it an easy target for hackers and scammers. Recently, new cyberattacks like GhostPairing have emerged, which can link a user's account to another device without their knowledge. Research has also revealed that millions of mobile numbers and profile data are at risk of being leaked through the contact discovery feature. Therefore, enabling some of WhatsApp's security features has become crucial. Here, we are telling you about 8 such excellent WhatsApp features.

Privacy Checkup
WhatsApp's Privacy Checkup feature allows users to control their privacy settings from one place. By going to Settings, then Privacy, and then Privacy Checkup, you can determine the visibility of your profile picture, status, and About section. Your Last Seen and Online status can also be hidden here. Additionally, you can control permissions for unwanted calls, messages, and group additions.

Disappearing Messages
The Disappearing Messages feature automatically deletes messages after a set time. Users can choose options of 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days. This can be applied to all new chats through the Default Message Timer in Settings under Privacy. While this feature doesn't prevent screenshots or external saving of messages, it does limit chat history.

Two-Step Verification
Two-step verification is the most important feature to protect your WhatsApp account from hacking. A security PIN can be set by going to Settings, then Account, and then Two-Step Verification. You can also add an email ID to recover your account if you forget your PIN. WhatsApp now also supports Passkeys, which further reduces the risk of unauthorized access.

App Lock and Chat Lock
WhatsApp also offers App Lock and Chat Lock features. The App Lock feature allows you to lock the app using Face ID, Touch ID, or a fingerprint. Additionally, specific chats can be secured separately using the Chat Lock feature. Locked chats are moved to a separate folder and cannot be opened without biometric access. These chats can also be quickly cleared if needed.

Advanced Security Settings
In Advanced Security Settings, users can block messages from unknown numbers. Options such as IP address protection and disabling link previews are also available. These settings help protect against online tracking and phishing scams, significantly reducing the risks associated with unknown links and messages.

Advanced Chat Privacy
The Advanced Chat Privacy feature gives users more control over their chat data. It allows you to prevent media from automatically downloading and restrict chats from being shared outside of WhatsApp. The use of messages by AI features can also be controlled. This setting can be applied separately to both personal chats and groups.

Read Receipts
Turning off Read Receipts prevents the other person from seeing whether you have read their message. This setting can be found in Privacy, where you can turn off Read Receipts. However, this feature does not apply to group chats and works both ways; you will also not be able to see others' read status.

Media Downloads
In WhatsApp, media automatically saving to your phone's gallery can also be a privacy risk. This can be prevented by going to Settings, then Chats, and turning off Save to Photos. Additionally, photos and videos can be sent with the One-Time View option, which makes them disappear after being viewed once. This feature is very useful for sensitive content.

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