Tips to secure your WhatsApp communications

My last week’s article, “Is WhatsApp Private? “No” received a lot of attention and sparked meaningful discussions among readers. The article explored how WhatsApp, despite its claims of end-to-end encryption, still shares certain types of metadata and user information with its parent company, Meta (previously known as Facebook).
Many were surprised to learn how much insight can be gained from this data, from contact lists to usage patterns and how privacy on the app isn’t as secure as many believe. The feedback showed just how concerned people are about the safety of their conversations and that is exactly why this week’s article will focus on how one can secure their WhatsApp chats and protect their communications.
When it comes to WhatsApp, most users face a silent trade-off between convenience and privacy. The app’s easy-to-use messaging, media sharing and group features make communication effortless, but that convenience often comes at a hidden cost, unfortunately. Every click, call and contact creates data points that can reveal patterns about your behaviour, ie, who you talk to most, what time you’re active and even where you might be (location).
While these details may seem harmless, they feed into a much larger digital ecosystem where information is analysed, monetised and sometimes even exposed through breaches. It’s the modern dilemma we all face: where the easier an app makes our lives, the more of ourselves we often give away in return. Period.
The good news is that protecting your WhatsApp chats does not require advanced technical skills, just a few smart habits that you can follow to help protect your private communications.
First, start by enabling the two-step verification, which adds an extra layer of security beyond your regular login. This simple feature can prevent unauthorised access even if someone manages to get your SIM card or phone. The feature is available under the WhatsApp settings.
Next, make it a routine to lock your WhatsApp with biometrics, be it with fingerprint or face ID and ensure your device itself has a strong passcode. Furthermore, be cautious with backups too, as these chat backups that are stored on Google Drive or iCloud are not encrypted, meaning your conversations could be vulnerable if those accounts are compromised. For sensitive discussions, consider disabling cloud backups altogether. And perhaps most importantly, avoid clicking suspicious links or downloading unknown attachments, as phishing remains one of the most common ways hackers gain access to private data.
WhatsApp’s massive reach, roughly about 3 billion monthly users, makes it a high-value target for attackers, hackers and state-level spyware. One of the prominent cybersecurity campaigns exploited a 2019 WhatsApp vulnerability to target about 1,400 users that include media journalists, activists and diplomats.
Furthermore, mobile threat monitoring firms report huge volumes of malicious activity targeting phones (over 1.1 million malicious and potentially unwanted mobile packages detected in 2024), underscoring that app security is only one part of the risk picture. Clearly these are only a few of the reported incidents on WhatsApp and instant messaging, lacking total privacy per se.
To conclude my article this week, let me emphasise that securing WhatsApp isn’t about paranoia; it’s, in fact, about sensible defaults that one can follow. Use the built-in tools. WhatsApp provides, eg, encrypted backups, two-step verification and privacy settings, while ensuring you regularly check and keep your smart devices patched/updated to ensure you help protect yourself and remain safe.
With billions of people using the app daily, small steps adopted by many make a big difference. Share these tips with your friends, colleagues, family and loved ones in order for us to help fight against losing our privacy and help protect our sanity. Until we catch up again next week, stay safe.