WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in South Africa, so it stands to reason that users would be targeted by scammers, crooks, and criminals looking to take advantage of its popularity.

There’s already a way to check whether or not the viral messages you’re getting on the app are fake news.

Now WhatsApp has listed five settings that you can change to keep yourself safe, reports MyBroadband, starting with:

1. Groups

If you’re a member of multiple groups, and receive countless messages a day, start by turning group notifications off.

In WhatsApp go to Settings > Notifications > Group Notifications and turn off “Show Notifications”. If you want to keep the notifications on, but not have a message alert tone for group messages, you can select to turn group notifications sounds off.

You should also change the ability for anyone to add anyone to the group:

To define who can add you to a group go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Groups. You can then select “Nobody”, “My Contacts”, or “Everyone”.

“Nobody” means you’ll have to approve joining every group to which you’re invited, which can be done via the group invitation users will be prompted to send you through an individual chat.

2. Screen Lock

WhatsApp recently launched a feature that lets you lock your account with an authentication screen.

iPhone users can set a Touch ID or Face ID lock for the app by navigating to Settings > Account > Privacy > Screen Lock.

Right now it’s available for iOS, but will likely be available for Android users soon.

3. Two-Factor Identification (2FA)

This allows users to set a code for their WhatsApp account which will protect it from being hijacked.

When setting up WhatsApp on a new phone and using the cellphone number associated to your 2FA-protected account, you will be required to enter the 2FA code to ensure the owner of the account is executing the setup.

To set up 2FA go to Settings > Account > Two-Step Verification and select enable. You will then be prompted to create a six-digit PIN.

Just make sure that you remember your code.

4. Last Seen and Read Receipts

This one is less about privacy and more about texting etiquette. Now, if you enable a function, that function will be applied to how you see everyone on your contacts list.

By navigating to Settings > Account > Privacy you will be presented with important options.

Last Seen – Select who is able to see when you were last on WhatsApp, from “Everyone”, “My Contacts”, and “Nobody”. If you do not share your Last Seen, you will not be able to see other users’ Last Seen status.

Read Receipts – By turning off Read Receipts, users will not be able to see if you have read their message – which appears as two blue ticks. However, you in turn will not be able to see if they have read your message.

Profile Photo and About – You can select who can see your Profile Photo and your About information. Options are “Everyone”, “My Contacts”, and “Nobody”

5. Security Notifications

These notifications ensure that if your contact’s encryption security codes change, you know about it.

This setting is important as it will let you know if a contact has set up their WhatsApp account on a new device – which can be the case if their account has been hijacked.

To enable this setting go to Settings > Account > Security > Show Security Notifications.

And that’s it.

You’re on your way to safer communication.

Feel free to send this to everyone in the group chat.

[source:mybroadband]