WhatsApp is protected by end-to-end encryption, but privacy also depends on what you reveal and how your account recovery works.
Here are 10 WhatsApp privacy and security settings to adjust in 2026.
📑 Table of Contents
Warning: privacy settings do not stop scams. Attackers often use your phone number to social-engineer access, so security settings matter too.
🧩 Start with your default visibility
- Change Profile Photo, About and Status to limit who can see them.
- Review privacy for contacts you do not know.
👁️ Read receipts and last seen
- Limit Last seen visibility.
- Control Read receipts so others cannot infer when you are active.
🔒 Enable two-step verification
Two-step verification adds a PIN when someone tries to register your number on a new device.
- Enable it and store the recovery email/PIN securely.
- Use a strong email password + 2FA as well.
More detailed steps: How to Secure Your WhatsApp Account.
📦 Protect backups
- Check whether WhatsApp backups are encrypted.
- Use a secure passcode/password for your backup storage account.
💬 Control message and media exposure
- Set Disappearing messages (when appropriate).
- Review media auto-download settings to reduce accidental data exposure.
- Disable notifications previews if you use the phone in public.
✅ Final checks
- Look for suspicious login messages or device changes.
- Keep OS/WhatsApp updated to receive security fixes.
- Be cautious: learn about related scams like Bizum scams and phishing.
⚡ Secure WhatsApp recovery first
Hardening recovery makes it much harder for scammers to take over your number.
🛡️ Secure WhatsApp