8 Things You Shouldn't Do On WhatsApp | WhatsApp Tips

Whatsapp is now the best instant messaging app with a cross-platform compatibility. It’s now a favorite for so many people from all walks of life. Why I personally like WhatsApp is its simplicity. Just that? Of course, who doesn’t like something simple and easy to use? With the rate at which Whatsapp is becoming the most used chatting/instant messaging platform, it becomes really imminent to take some things seriously. Don’t be freaked out, I won’t say anything so negative about your usage of WhatsApp. Like our smartphones, there are still somethings we shouldn’t do with it or doesn’t feel safe to try. Some people care about their privacy and so many other personal related stuff, why others don’t. So if you are a fan of WhatsApp(everyone is though), you should be reading this post, sharing it or adding to the content via the comments box. So, let’s see what we should not or never do on or with Whatsapp. What should I start with? OK, I know the perfect kick to start the trip.  

[su_heading size=”23″ margin=”30″]Use Only The Official Whatsapp App [/su_heading]

Does this sound like I am gonna get some punches from a group of fists? Yea, I won’t be surprised. If you are someone who likes trying out new stuff like rooting your device, install a custom recovery or ROM and even changing your phone every now and then, then you will probably disagree with me. Whatsapp as an extremely popular instant messaging app has a lot of mods that can be downloaded and installed on compatible phones. The only difference with the official Whatsapp is just some features that are added manually to the app by the modder. Yea, you get nice features to enjoy, wow your friends and have fun. Just like using a cracked/nulled WordPress theme or plugin is very dangerous to your website, using anything other than the official is just without any guarantee of safety. Imagine all your Whatsapp chats from day 1 of installing the app have been remotely accessed by someone and you just don’t know, because you are carried away with what you got. It’s very possible. Most of the people using modded apps are teens, adults. Elderly people who put their privacy first would never want to install something that might put their privacy at risk. No matter your class in the society, your privacy and security are very important. The official Whatsapp has enough features to make it user-friendly and secured. Newer features are added every day. If you find an issue, it’s easy to complain via the official app store, your security is guaranteed with end-to-end encryption and timely updates to fix issues as well as adding more features. What else do you want?  

[su_heading size=”23″ margin=”30″]Not securing your Whatsapp with a Pin/Passcode is a bad idea[/su_heading]

Just like having a phone with a fingerprint sensor, Iris scanner, Face detection etc, and just don’t use any, your device can be accessed by unauthorized persons and your data will be stolen. You literally talk to all your contacts via Whatsapp: Let’s say your boss, sister, brother, close friends, girlfriend or boyfriend, lover, wife, husband, pastor or anyone who is close you. If you go through the Whatsapp chats, you will probably see how much information you have outside your cage. Anyone with complete access to your phone can view, add or even edit your files without your knowledge. Doesn’t that sound bad? Now,  what has the Whatsapp team done to completely protect its users?  

[su_heading size=”23″ margin=”30″]Whatsapp Two-Step Verification[/su_heading]

Two-step verification as the name implies is a trending security option that’s being used by most top tech companies to add a second layer of security which strongly prevents unauthorized users from accessing your app, account or Whatsapp, in this context. Two-step verification has a powerful security that shouldn’t be underestimated. Did you know it’s possible for someone with access to your phone to open your Whatsapp account? All the person needs to do is to check the SMS confirmation code sent to your phone, then he or she can chat with your contacts and do whatever is their motive. Just imagine what could happen if this goes into the wrong hand. You will be seriously messed up if that’s the reason for breaching your privacy. So what if two-step verification is enabled?

• Each time your Whatsapp is reinstalled or opened after awhile, it will request for a special pin code which only you should know. You can also use your email to confirm it.

Sounds great right? It should. So, let’s see how you can quickly set up two-step verification to secure your Whatsapp account.

• Open your Whatsapp app
• Click on the 3 dotted icons at the top right.
• Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
• Click on Account
• Select Two-step verification
• Enter a secure but easy to remember 6 digit PIN. This will be requested each time you want to open Whatsapp with your registered phone number.
• In case you forget your PIN, on the next page you can enter your email address for PIN recovery.
• Make sure the email address is safe and only accessible by you.

If you just did this, you should be smiling because your Whatsapp is as secured as a Paypal account.  

[su_heading size=”23″ margin=”30″]Don’t send any sensitive information or file to Whatsapp Groups[/su_heading]

This may not sound scary until you have been beaten by this careless act. Many Whatsapp users have become so used to the app that they don’t limit the way it affects their personality. Youngsters fall into this issue most times. A Whatsapp group is like the real world out here, you never know who is your foe. Let’s say you post a picture of your son, spouse or friend that someone has been desperately looking for to do something fishy with it. Without knowing, you have just given the person an open ticket to go on with his plan. The thing is, once it’s sent, most people save it immediately. Even if you regret it or want to delete it as soon as you found out, it might be too late. So, always be careful what you share with Whatsapp groups and don’t always let out your personal info unless it’s a safe place.  

[su_heading size=”23″ margin=”30″]Save your data by disabling auto download in Whatsapp[/su_heading]

Whatsapp by default saves media files like pictures, videos, documents etc automatically on your device. While this might not be a problem to people with bigger data plans, it doesn’t make sense to have that option turned on. Most times when I check my Gallery and find so many useless photos, videos, etc, I finally traced it to Whatsapp. Most of those annoying photos from Whatsapp chats and groups are most times automatically saved on our device. Yea, I had more than 700 photos from chats and groups in WhatsApp. It was so annoying because I didn’t ask for them. Ok, I shouldn’t complain, right? Let’s see how to stop Whatsapp from automatically downloading media files so as to save data and space on our device. If you are connected to a WiFi network, data shouldn’t be a problem but the downloaded files might just mess up your storage space with irrelevancy. Let’s quickly see how to save data on Whatsapp.

• Open your Whatsapp app
• Click on the 3 dots at the top right of your screen.
• Select Settings from the list.
• Click on Data and storage usage
• Under Media auto-download, select When using mobile data
• Unmark Photos, Audio, Videos, or Documents depending on what annoys you the most.

For me, it’s just those photos from Whatsapp groups. So let’s see what’s next.  

[su_heading size=”23″ margin=”30″]Never post sensitive content on your Whatsapp profile or status[/su_heading]

If you have ever done this, you might be in a secret trouble. When I say sensitive contents, it includes nude photos, sexual contents or adult contents. What is more important is, don’t post any sensitive content on your Whatsapp profile or status. If you are still doing it, please, stop! These are the reasons you should stop using your Whatsapp profile or status in the wrong way(posting anything very sensitive)

• Your Whatsapp profile picture isn’t only visible to you, anyone with your contact could see it and feel__
• The fact that Whatsapp status lasts for just 24hrs doesn’t mean you should use it without care. It’s very easy to save Whatsapp statuses and even profile pictures. So anyone who really needs to use your Whatsapp status or nude photo against you could just save it and plan on how to use it negatively. So don’t be deceived, your Whatsapp posts and statuses aren’t as safe as you thought. But you could still hide your profile pics if you wish via the privacy settings.
• If you are someone who is popular and likes staying under a kinda cover, also keep your Whatsapp free of unnecessary contents so you don’t lay a trap for yourself.

 

[su_heading size=”23″ margin=”30″]Use Whatsapp groups with caution[/su_heading]

As exciting as it is to use Whatsapp groups or belong to an active one, it could still cause damages. How will that happen, you may ask. Whatever you post on a Whatsapp group is seen by all the members. So what if you mistakenly post the wrong thing and you didn’t remember on time. You will be so fried. The good thing is that Whatsapp has recently added a feature to help you retract messages as soon as it’s sent. But, you could be still be so carried away that you easily forget you posted something very important and personal. The whole thing is just to be very careful when you are posting on WhatsApp groups.  

[su_heading size=”23″ margin=”30″]Allowing Strangers access to your Whatsapp isn’t so cool[/su_heading]

Just like it’s risky to allow children access to certain things, it’s also inappropriate to allow strangers access to your Whatsapp. If you give it a second thought, your Whatsapp is yours and your chats are personal. It’s also a good idea if your secure your app with a security lock so as to keep strangers away from running their eyes around. If you allow anyone to access to your phone, you are giving him/her access to your personal life. Yes, anything accessible is readable. Even your private chats. If you really take your privacy very seriously, take some time to configure your smartphone to be more secure. Use the fingerprint sensor to its fullest, lock your private apps with an easy to remember the code and keep prying eyes away from your digital assistant. These are some of the very important safety tips to make your Whatsapp experience more convenient and free from dangers. If you have something toadd to this post, kindly do so via the comments section.]]>