How do you set up privacy settings on WhatsApp?
Last seen, profile photo, being added to groups... On WhatsApp, you decide who sees what. A five-minute tour of the settings is all it takes.
When you install WhatsApp, most settings come open to everyone: numbers you don't know can see your profile photo too, anyone who wants to can add you to any group they like, and everyone can track your last seen. Most people use it for years without ever changing these.
Yet the key to all of them is gathered in a single menu: Settings → Privacy. Once you apply the steps below, only the people you want will see you, instead of anyone who reaches your number. None of these settings sends a notification to the other person, so you can change them with peace of mind.
- Time5 minutes
- DifficultyEasy
- Steps7
🧰 What you need
- An up-to-date version of WhatsApp
Steps
- Open the Privacy menuOn Android, go in through the three dots at the top right, on iPhone through Settings at the bottom right, and find the Privacy section. Everything in this guide is in this one menu.
- Restrict last seen and onlineSet 'Last seen and online' to 'My contacts' or 'Nobody'. Remember: if you hide yours, you can't see the other person's last seen either — it's a fair trade.
- Keep your profile photo for your contactsSet 'Profile photo' to 'My contacts'. That way, someone who isn't in your contacts — for example, a wrong number or accounts that bother you — can't see your photo.
- Control being added to groupsSet 'Groups' to 'My contacts'. Numbers you don't know can't add you to a group directly; they send an invitation first, and joining becomes your choice.
- Turn off read receipts if you likeIf the blue ticks bother you, turn off 'Read receipts'. This is mutual too: you won't be able to see who has read your messages either. Played receipts for voice messages are sent regardless.
- Use disappearing messages in sensitive chatsIf you turn on disappearing messages in a chat, new messages are deleted automatically once the time you choose runs out. It's good insurance if your phone falls into someone else's hands or someone looks at your screen.
- Turn on two-step verificationSet a PIN under Settings → Account → Two-step verification. This PIN is requested whenever someone tries to move your number to another device; it's the strongest setting for preventing your account from being stolen.
⚠ This guide is general information. Yudum cannot be held responsible for the outcome of following it; for official procedures always rely on the institution's own statement. Steps and fees change over time.
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