WhatsApp is one of the most used applications in the world and considering that the safety, security and privacy of the users are very crucial. In the recent case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide, there was a lot of controversy regarding WhatsApp chat leaks and people were questioning the security of WhatsApp, even after end-to-end encryption.
To save you from leaking chats and ensuring your privacy, here are some ‘must-know’ points on how to keep your WhatsApp data safe:
Transferring Chats from iOS to Android and vice-versa:
If you are using an Android phone and wish to shift to an iPhone, you might have to forget about your WhatsApp chats. This is because inter-platform transfers are stopped by the company to ensure the user’s privacy.
However, there are third-party applications and software that claim to do the task, but it makes your WhatsApp data vulnerable and it may not work most of the times.
WhatsApp Backup:
Everyone is always advised to take due backups of all data to ensure safety, just in case one gets corrupted or misplaced. It was true for WhatsApp at first, but not anymore.
Backing up chats and media in WhatsApp’s cloud is secure and end-to-end encrypted, even the company cannot access your messages.
iCloud and Google Drive Backups:
Backing your chats on any other third-party cloud storage will make your chats and private data vulnerable. WhatsApp does not guarantee safety if your chats are being backed up in iCloud or Google Drive, for instance, end-to-end encryption does not work anywhere beside WhatsApp backup.
WhatsApp Pin:
WhatsApp appreciates and encourages users to use the Operating System in-built security features to protect your data. Having a strong pin or biometrics will ensure the safety and privacy of your chats and personal data. Use a six-digit security pin to ensure that no third-party can have access to your WhatsApp. If a hacker or agency gets to clone your phone, they would then require a 2FA code to enter your WhatsApp account.
WhatsApp email and PIN:
In case you get logged out from your WhatsApp account after switching from another phone or any other reason and you forgot your email and pin, there is a good chance that you might never get to access your WhatsApp data. Always remember your registered email address and pin you use to secure WhatsApp as 2FA authentication is very essential and without it, there is no chance for you to enter your account data.
Exporting WhatsApp Chats:
If the user exports WhatsApp chats to email or Drive, the end-to-end encryption is lost and these chats are unprotected. To ensure the safety and privacy of your chats, do not export your chats on email or upload them anywhere.
Move to SD Card:
WhatsApp allows users to transfer the WhatsApp data file to an external location by simply copy-pasting but these chats, wherever be pasted cannot be accessed without the email id, PIN and 2-factor authentication.
Delete Backup:
If the user wishes to delete WhatsApp chats or backups, simply go to files app on your smartphone and delete backup files from there to ensure safety and privacy. The user can do the same if the backup is on Drive or iCloud, delete them from the storage and your no one will be able to access those files ever again.
These are some of the ways by which one can ensure the safety and privacy of personal chats and data from WhatsApp. If you happen to make any of the above mistakes, correct it before it gets you in trouble.
