WhatsApp Security & Privacy Settings

Group Settings

Group Permissions

• Members can: Edit group settings – Switch Off.
• Members can: Add other members – Switch Off.
• Admins can: Approve new members – Switch On.
• Group admins - Limit the number of group admins to as few as possible, but should be at least 2.

Other Settings

• Advanced Chat Privacy – Turn on. This stops people exporting the chat, and media is not automatically downloaded to the phone – BUT importantly it can still be manually downloaded (more info).
• Disappearing messages - Turn on disappearing messages. Max period 4 weeks. Less if possible (more info).
• Chat lock - Turn on Chat Lock, to hide the chat, and only make it visible after a biometric check (more info).

Main App Settings

Privacy

• About - Set to Nobody.
• Last seen and online - Set to Nobody.
• Profile photo - Set to Nobody.
• Links (profile) - Set to Nobody.
• Groups - Set so only your contacts can add you to a group. If an admin who isn't in your contacts wants to add you, they will need to send you an invite.
• App Lock, Enable, timer to 1 minute, and switch off “Show content in”. With this switched on Biometrics are required to access the WhatsApp app.
• Default message timer - Set to 7 days.

Profile

• Name - Change to something else, rather than your real name. NOTE: If someone has you saved in their phone contacts then this won’t change the display name on their phone.

Chats

• Chat backup - Switch off Backups (more info). If you need your WhatsApp chats backed up then switch on Backup Encryption (more info). WhatsApp Backup is Not recommended.

Key Points

• Implementing all the above points does not guarantee privacy.
• Data is still gathered by Meta. So for example Meta records time, date, phone number, IP address, MAC Address, Your ID, Contact, Location and will hand this info over to the authorities.
• Phone number cannot be hidden from other contacts in a group.
• If one person in a group is backing up the chat, then they are a weak link.
• The process you have for admitting a new person to a group is very important. Do you make the group very open where anyone can join, or do you have a system where someone is vouched for before they are admitted to the group?

Also see 'Choosing a messaging platform'.