As the world shifted to the digital space and life including work related communications transmuted to virtual, key communication platforms like WhatsApp have taken the centre-stage amidst the purported ‘new normal’.
A majority of Pakistanis use WhatsApp to keep in touch with friends and family or work on daily basis; however, some of them may not be familiar with all the unique and useful features the platform has to offer. It is because technology is always undergoing innovation and optimization, making it difficult for average users to keep tabs on all that is happening in the digital realm.
WhatsApp is primarily a private communication application that has a strong focus on safety, security and privacy of its users. That is why; WhatsApp has been at the forefront of pioneering some of the most secure and innovative features private messaging services can offer.
Communication through WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted, which ensures that only the sender and receiver have access to the content of your chats. But here are a few other features to improve your safety and privacy that you can start using in the app today:
1) Two-Step Verification: The best way for users to protect their WhatsApp account is to set up two-step verification. The two-step verification feature enables all users to secure their accounts, through the creation and confirmation of a unique PIN to access the account. Providing an email address with your two-step verification will also help our customer service team assist users should they ever encounter any account issues.
When you have two-step verification enabled, any attempt to verify your phone number on WhatsApp must be accompanied by the six-digit PIN that you created using this feature.
For setting up the two-step verification, users can go to settings and tap on the account. From here choose the two-step verification option from the list appearing.
2) Require Face ID or Touch ID to unlock WhatsApp: For WhatsApp chats, iOS and Android users can set their account to require Touch ID, with iOS users having Face ID authentication as well. This feature will be functional even when the device is already unlocked.
To use Touch ID or Face ID for WhatsApp, enabling them on your phone is necessary. After which, users can tap on the account option within WhatsApp and click Privacy, which will allow them to open the screen lock option.
3) View Once: Some messages are meant to be seen only once and you may not want them to be out there longer than necessary. That is where WhatsApp’s ‘View Once messages’ come in. “View Once” allows users to send photos and videos that can only be viewed once. Once they are opened and viewed, they will be automatically self-destruct, effectively preventing their saving and sharing. While sending a photo or video, tap the ‘circled 1’ icon near the send button to switch on the ‘view once’ option.
4) Disappearing messages: This feature can help protect your privacy as well as unclutter your phone. Now, the funny memes that are as good as a single viewing or other unwanted conversations and media will disappear from your conversations and phone storage in a week. Turn on Disappearing Messages by tapping on the contact or chat’s name at the top of your screen. Select Disappearing Messages from the list of options and then tap On. When turned on disappearing messages will allow for messages within a particular conversation to disappear after seven days.
5) Hide group photos and videos from the gallery: Caught up in too many groups with little relevance and too much content? Use the media visibility feature to stop your gallery from being flooded with meaningless pictures and videos.
To turn this feature on, tap on the group name and then tap on the media visibility option shown in the list.
6) Hiding notifications on a locked screen: For some extra privacy, you can hide WhatsApp notifications from a locked screen so if your phone is buzzing during a meeting or left unattended on your night stand, no one can read any of the preview messages.
Long-press on a WhatsApp notification. Then tap on ‘Details’. From the next screen, you can choose to hide messages on the lock screen.
7) Privacy settings are in your hands: Some of us don’t want the pressure of people knowing when we were last online, or we just want to maintain our privacy by limiting who has access to our account information. Under your privacy settings in WhatsApp, you can change who can see your ‘Last Seen’, profile photo, your ‘About’ information or even who is allowed to add you to groups.
Constant innovation and optimization to resolve issues and respond to the evolving needs of users keep digital platforms alive and relevant. Undoubtedly, WhatsApps’ latest safety feature will significantly enhance user experience and dependence on its platform.
