You won’t want to wake up one day and found out your Whatsapp has been hacked, this is why you need to prevent all online accounts from hacking including WhatsApp.
Therefore, in this post, I discuss steps you can take to prevent your WhatsApp account from being hacked.
Let’s start.
How to Prevent your WhatsApp Account from Hacking
Below are some of the ways to stop your Whatsapp account from hacking.
1. Use Two-Step Verification
The first method to secure your WhatsApp from hacking is to use the Two-step verification.
Two-step verification also called Two-factor authentication(2FA), is higher-level security that makes sure whoever tries to open your WhatsApp account on another phone has to enter your secret 6-digit password.
Enabling the 2FA feature, it will prevent your Whatsapp account from any form of hacking.
Also, in order not to forget the 6-digit code, WhatsApp will periodically ask you to enter this code when using the app.
To activate the Two-Step Verification, open Whatsapp and go to the Account section under settings. Next, tap Two-Step Verification and enter your unique 6-digit PIN. I also give the steps on how to activate it in the next section below.
2. Lock your WhatsApp Account with a Fingerprint or Face ID
This feature gives an extra layer of security to the two-step verification feature. Normally, a person who knows your phone password can access any app on your phone such as Whatsapp.
However, when fingerprint or face ID is activated, it will prevent anyone from accessing your WhatsApp app talkless of hacking.
To activate it, open Whatsapp and go to privacy settings. There, you will be able to enable fingerprint or Face ID for your Whatsapp. I also give the steps on how to do it in the next section below.
3. Be Careful of Website links on Whatsapp
Some messages with a link to a website may be an avenue to get your personal details. Messages like you just won a prize, job, visa or lucrative investments can be a tricky way to get your Whatsapp or personal detail.
This is common in Whatsapp groups where people post different unverified posts with links. Sometimes someone might copy your contact from the group and sends a personal message.
Therefore, if you are suspicious of a link or the sender’s behaviour, do not click on it unless you confirm it is genuine.
This singular act can prevent hacking and greatly enhance the security of a Whatsapp account.
4. Log out of Whatsapp Web when done
As a rule, always log out of your WhatsApp web account when done on the computer especially if it is not your personal computer.
Because whoever uses the computer can do anything on your Whatsapp account when you are away.
However, if you still want to be connected to the WhatsApp web, lock the computer. By this, you can prevent your Whatsapp from hacking.
5. Review your WhatsApp Privacy setting
Another way to prevent your WhatsApp account from being hacked is to review your privacy setting.
For instance, set who can add you to a group to ‘contact only’ or tweak it further by allowing only certain people to add you.
If not, anybody can add you to a group you don’t like or to a fraudulent group thereby exposing your Whatsapp details.
There have been incidences of groups created solely to defraud and hack WhatsApp accounts therefore, beware.
Two-Step Verification: How to Lock Whatsapp with Password on iPhone and Android
To lock your Whatsapp account with a password on iPhone and Android is by using Two-Step Verification. Therefore follow these steps:
- Open your WhatsApp and tap the option icon at the top.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Account.
- Then, tap Two-step verification and Enable.
- Enter a six-digit PIN of your choice and confirm it.
- Also, provide an email address or tap Skip if you don’t want to add an email address.
- Tap Next.
- Confirm the email address and tap Save or Done.
It is recommended you add an email address. This is useful when you want to reset the PIN or password either because you forget or it is no more secret.
If there is one thing to prevent your WhatsApp from hacking, it is by enabling the Two-Step Verification
Related Post: How to Secure Gmail from Hackers
How to Put Face ID and Set FingerPrint on Whatsapp Account
To activate Face ID and Fingerprint on your WhatsApp account, follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp and tap the option icon at the top.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Account.
- Then, tap Privacy
- Scroll down to choose Fingerprint lock or Face ID
- Tap and enable it.
By enabling this screen lock option, it will prevent anyone from accessing or hacking your Whatsapp messages without your permission
Conclusion: How to Prevent your WhatsApp Account from Hacking
Finally, protecting your WhatsApp account is important especially if you imagine how huge the harm it can cause you for losing all sensitive information and chats to hackers.
Hence, prevent it right now and save yourself so much stress in trying to get back your Whatsapp account.
Do you have questions or comments? Please drop it in the comment section
