Last updated: October 28, 2026
Most of us set up WhatsApp years ago, tapped “Agree” on everything and never opened the WhatsApp privacy settings again. Meanwhile, the app has quietly added a lot of useful protection: options to stop strangers from adding you to groups, silence scam calls and lock private chats.
None of these are on by default. Here are the WhatsApp privacy settings worth turning on today, with the exact menu path for each. The whole thing takes about ten minutes.
What finally made me open my own settings was a week of international spam calls at odd hours, followed by being added to a random “part-time job” group I had never asked to join. I had ignored both for days — then I realised the calls and the group adds stopped the day I changed two settings, and I wished I had done it months earlier.
Note: WhatsApp moves menus around between updates. If you can’t find an option exactly where described, update the app from the Play Store or App Store and use the search icon inside Settings.
Start here: Privacy Checkup
WhatsApp has a built-in guided tour of its main privacy options. Go to Settings → Privacy → Privacy checkup (on some phones it appears as “Start checkup”). It walks you through who can contact you, who sees your personal info and how your chats are protected. If you only have two minutes, do this.
For everything else, here’s the full list.
1. Turn on two-step verification
Path: Settings → Account → Two-step verification → Turn on
This adds a 6-digit PIN that WhatsApp asks for when your number is registered on a new phone. Even if a scammer tricks you into sharing the SMS code, they still can’t take over your account without this PIN. Add your email too, so you can reset the PIN if you forget it.
If you change only one setting from this article, make it this one.
2. Silence unknown callers
Path: Settings → Privacy → Calls → Silence unknown callers
Calls from numbers that aren’t saved in your contacts won’t ring. They still show up in your call list, so you won’t miss a genuine call from a delivery person or a new client; you’ll just see it later instead of being interrupted. This cuts out most international spam calls.
3. Control who can add you to groups
Path: Settings → Privacy → Groups → My contacts (or My contacts except…)
Set this and random people can no longer drop you into “investment tips” or “part-time job” groups. Those groups are one of the most common starting points for task and trading scams. Anyone not in your contacts will have to send you an invite, which you can ignore.
4. Hide your personal info from strangers
Path: Settings → Privacy
Go through these one by one:
- Last seen & online: set to My contacts or Nobody
- Profile photo: My contacts. Scammers often copy profile photos to impersonate people.
- About: My contacts
- Status: choose who sees your status updates
A stranger with your number can learn a surprising amount from your photo, your “About” line and when you’re online. There’s no reason to show them.
5. Protect your IP address in calls
Path: Settings → Privacy → Advanced → Protect IP address in calls
With this on, calls are routed through WhatsApp’s servers so the other person can’t easily work out your rough location from your IP address. Call quality may drop slightly, which is a fair trade for calls with people you don’t know well.
6. Encrypt your chat backup
Path: Settings → Chats → Chat backup → End-to-end encrypted backup
Your messages are encrypted on WhatsApp, but your backup on Google Drive or iCloud isn’t, unless you turn this on. You’ll set a password or save a 64-digit key. Write it down somewhere safe; if you lose it, WhatsApp can’t recover your backup for you.
While you’re thinking about backups, our guide on backing up your phone automatically covers photos and contacts too.
7. Lock your most private chats
Path: Open a chat → tap the name at the top → Chat lock
Locked chats move into a separate folder that needs your fingerprint, face or phone passcode to open. Useful if family members or colleagues sometimes use your phone.
8. Use disappearing messages for sensitive chats
Path: Open a chat → tap the name → Disappearing messages, or set a default under Settings → Privacy → Default message timer
Messages vanish after 24 hours, 7 days or 90 days. Good for chats where you share things like addresses or documents that don’t need to stay around forever.
9. Turn on Advanced Chat Privacy for groups
Path: Open a chat or group → tap the name → Advanced chat privacy
This stops others in that chat from exporting the conversation or automatically saving media to their phone. Handy for family groups where you share personal photos or documents.
WhatsApp privacy settings checklist
| Setting | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Two-step verification | On, with email added |
| Silence unknown callers | On |
| Groups | My contacts |
| Last seen, profile photo, About | My contacts |
| Protect IP address in calls | On |
| End-to-end encrypted backup | On (save your key) |
| Chat lock | For private chats |
Of all of these, silencing unknown callers made the biggest difference to my daily life — my phone simply stopped ringing for numbers I don’t know, and the genuine calls still show up in the list. Two-step verification is the most important one for safety, but silence-unknown-callers is the one I actually feel every day.
What to do if you get a scam message
- Don’t click links or call numbers in the message.
- Long-press the chat → Block and Report.
- Report suspicious numbers on the government’s Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu).
- If money is involved, call the cyber crime helpline 1930 straight away.
Many WhatsApp scams follow the same pattern as phishing emails. Our guide on how to spot a phishing email explains the warning signs.
Key takeaways
- Two-step verification is the single most important WhatsApp setting.
- Limit group adds and personal info to “My contacts”.
- Silence unknown callers to cut out most spam calls.
- Encrypt your backup, and keep the key safe.
Sources
- WhatsApp Help Center
- WhatsApp Blog – Silence Unknown Callers and Privacy Checkup
- Sanchar Saathi – Department of Telecommunications
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone hack my WhatsApp with just my number?
Not on its own. Account takeovers usually happen when someone tricks you into sharing the 6-digit SMS code. Two-step verification protects you even if that happens.
Will silencing unknown callers block genuine calls?
No. Those calls aren’t blocked, they just don’t ring. You’ll still see them in your Calls tab and notifications, and you can call back.
If I hide my last seen, can I still see others’ last seen?
No. If you turn off sharing your last seen, you also won’t be able to see other people’s.
Are WhatsApp backups encrypted by default?
No. Your chats are end-to-end encrypted, but the backup on Google Drive or iCloud is only encrypted if you turn on end-to-end encrypted backup.