Technology
How to Use WhatsApp Privacy Settings for Maximum Control Over Your Information
Privacy-related concerns are among the serious issues in this digital age, necessarily in the use of WhatsApp or other instant messaging platforms. As a matter of fact, WhatsApp is one of the most downloaded message apps in the globe. It allows the user of this highly downloaded app to have several privacy features while keeping information from contacts within. The following tutorial pages will show how WhatsApp’s privacy settings can be used to provide it with full control over one’s personal information so that you can converse with your mind at ease.
Why WhatsApp Privacy Matters
That has never been more important than it is today, when incidents of cyberattacks and breaches of concerns continue to increase. WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted out of the box, meaning that only the sender and recipient can read messages. But WhatsApp lets you adjust privacy settings that control who can see your activity and details about your profile.
By managing these settings, you can:
- Protect your personal data from prying eyes.
- Prevent unauthorized access to your profile and messages.
- Avoid being added to unwanted groups that expose your phone number and information.
In short, controlling your privacy on WhatsApp ensures your conversations and personal data stay protected.
Understanding WhatsApp Privacy Settings
WhatsApp also makes different privacy settings available to be enabled so that the amount of your personal information that is given out can be controlled. You open the app, go into Settings, then Account, and finally select Privacy. The following are the main WhatsApp features:
However, it’s worth noting that some users opt for third-party apps like WhatsApp GB to gain access to additional privacy features not available in the official app. WhatsApp GB or GBWA offers enhanced privacy controls, such as hiding your online status, blue ticks, and even typing indicators, without limiting your ability to see others’.
Last Seen and Online Status
Your “Last Seen” timestamp shows the last time you were active on WhatsApp. Full control over this feature at any time is important regarding questions of privacy.
- Who can see it: You can decide whether to share the Last Seen status with everyone, only your contacts, or even no one at all.
- Impact: If any person hides their Last Seen status, they will no longer be able to see others’ status.
Profile Photo Visibility
The profile picture is very often the first thing with which one interacts when using WhatsApp; thus, being able to control who can see it or not may be important for privacy.
- Who can see it: Choose whether everyone can see your profile photo, only your contacts can, or no one can.
- Why it matters: Don’t expose your profile picture to strangers or contacts you may not be able to trust. Limiting the visibility to close friends and family helps avoid this situation.
About Info Privacy
The “About” section on WhatsApp is where you share a brief status or description about yourself. Although it might seem trivial, this information can reveal a lot about you if not managed properly.
- Who can see it: Control whether your About information is visible to everyone, only your contacts, or no one.
- Why it’s important: Sensitive or personal information in the About section should be limited to those you trust.
Status Updates Privacy
WhatsApp Status Updates Like many social media stories, through WhatsApp status updates, you can post text photos and videos for as long as 24 hours. As they are not permanent, they still need to beLng given significant privacy control.
- Who can see it: The visibility option will give you a choice between making your status updates visible for all of your contacts, selected ones, or only one specific group.
- Why it is important: A status update contains personal content and should therefore only be shared with trusted contacts.
Controlling Group Privacy on WhatsApp
Group chats can sometimes be overwhelming, especially when added without your consent. WhatsApp gives you control over who can add you to groups.
Who Can Add You to Groups
This feature allows you to decide who can add you to WhatsApp groups, preventing strangers or unknown contacts from adding you.
- Options: Set it so only your contacts or select contacts can add you to groups.
- Benefit: Reducing unwanted group invites not only protects your privacy but also limits who can see your phone number and other details shared in groups.
Managing Group Info and Participation
When you are in a group, it is time to manage your participation. You will be able to view the phone number of the group members, and at times, other information about the member, depending on the set permissions within the group.
- Visibility control: Limit your visibility in groups by choosing not to share any details and by leaving/muting those groups where you’re uncomfortable.
- Personal info: Be mindful about what you share in group chats to protect your privacy.
Blocking and Reporting Contacts for Enhanced Privacy
Arguably, one of the most effective ways to be in control of your WhatsApp interactions is through blocking. This implies keeping unwanted contacts from messaging you, viewing your profile photo, or assessing your status.
How to Block Contacts
Blocking someone on WhatsApp is simple and highly effective.
- Steps: Go to the contact’s chat, tap their name, and select “Block.”
- Impact: Once blocked, they can no longer send you messages or see your profile photo or Last Seen.
Reporting Suspicious Contacts
You can report unwanted or suspicious messages to WhatsApp.
- When to report: Spam, harassment, or any other abusive messages.
- What happens: WhatsApp will investigate this report then take necessary action if needed, thus helping one to keep a safe chatting environment.
Two-Step Verification for Added Security
Two-step verification adds an extra layer of security to your WhatsApp account by requiring a PIN whenever you register your phone number.
Enabling Two-Step Verification
Enabling two-step verification is easy, and it’s a surefire way to ensure only you can register your phone number with WhatsApp.
- steps: Go to WhatsApp settings, find something related to data sharing there, and opt out of it.
- Why it matters: By limiting any data-sharing at all, you retain a larger level of control over your personal information and are constraining focused advertisements through Facebook.
Managing Data Sharing Permissions with WhatsApp and Facebook
WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, has always brought up questions about the data shared between the platforms. The data shared doesn’t include your messages, but other personal info definitely does, such as phone numbers and device information.
Opting Out of Data Sharing with Facebook
You can manage your data sharing permissions to prevent WhatsApp from sharing your information with Facebook.
- Steps: In WhatsApp settings, look for the data-sharing options and opt-out.
- Why it’s important: Reducing data sharing helps you retain more control over your personal information and limits targeted ads from Facebook.
How to Secure Chats with End-to-End Encryption
WhatsApp’s default feature is end-to-end encryption, meaning only you and the person you’re communicating with can read your messages.
Verifying Encryption for Specific Chats
To ensure your chats are encrypted, you can verify the encryption status.
- Steps: Open a chat, tap the contact’s name, and select “Encryption.” You’ll see a code that ensures your messages are secure.
- Importance: Verifying encryption gives you peace of mind that your messages are protected from third parties.
Best Practices for WhatsApp Privacy
Maximizing your privacy on WhatsApp requires ongoing attention. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:
Regularly Update Your App
WhatsApp updates its privacy features regularly, so keeping the app updated means you have access to the latest security tools.
- Why it matters: Updates often include critical privacy enhancements to protect your data.
Be Mindful of Shared Links and Media
Shared media, like photos and videos, can expose personal information if you’re not careful.
- Tips: Only share content with trusted contacts, and be mindful of what’s visible in your photos or videos.
Conclusion: Take Control of Your Privacy on WhatsApp
WhatsApp has other powerful features with regard to privacy: basically, the right for users to decide with whom they share their personal information and where their data spreads. From settings controlling your Last Seen, enabling two-step verification-these set-ups give you ways to make sure your data is kept secure. Thus, be sure that your information is going to stay safe, protected by your choice, when you go through your privacy settings and update them from time to time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is there a way that I can hide my WhatsApp profile photo from someone?
Go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Profile Photo and select “My Contacts Except.” to exclude the photo from certain people.
What happens if I block a person on WhatsApp?
The blocked contact cannot see your Last Seen, profile photo, and even cannot send you messages.
Can I somehow stop adding me to different groups without asking for my permission?
Yes, you can. To do this, go into Settings -> Privacy -> Groups, and then select either “My Contacts” or “My Contacts Except.”
How do I know my chat in WhatsApp is encrypted?
To verify the security code, making sure that end-to-end encryption is enabled, tap on the name of the contact in the conversation, then on “Encryption”.
What does two-step verification do, and why should I enable it?
Two-step verification works by first providing an extra layer during WhatsApp’s registering process, whereby one has to create a PIN, which offers additional security to prevent unauthorized access to the account.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian tech firms attracted just $100 million in funding in the first quarter of 2025, raising worries about investment crunch into Africa.
This is part of a wider slowdown in funding on the continent as funding into the African tech ecosystem dropped 5 per cent to $460 million in the first quarter of 2025, according to data by Africa: The Big Deal.
The decline shows the consistent drop in venture capital funding on the continent, which fell from $486 million raised in the same period of 2024,
The data insight firm, which tracks funding rounds of $100,000 and above, revealed that nearly $300 million was raised by start-ups in January, and fell to $119 million in February.
March saw one of the lowest monthly totals since late 2020, with just $50 million in funding announced.
The Big Deal noted that despite a steady number of start-ups securing funding, the lack of deals exceeding $10 million significantly impacted overall investment figures.
“Q1 2025 is the second-lowest quarter in terms of start-up funding since late 2020,” the insight company noted.
“However, things are looking more positive if we focus on the number of start-ups that announced at least $1 million in funding during the quarter, with 52 such deals aligning with the 2023-2024 average,” a post seen by Business Post showed.
Nigeria alongside Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt – referred to as the Big Four – got 83 per cent of funding during the period under review.
Nigeria attracted roughly over $100 million in funding (24 per cent), same as Kenya (24 per cent) and followed closely by South Africa with $100 million (22 per cent).
Egypt secured $61 million (14 per cent), while Togo emerged as a surprise entry in the top five, buoyed by Gozem’s $30 million Series B funding round.
Fintech remained the dominant sector, accounting for nearly half (46 per cent) of total investment, the report disclosed with deals including LemFi’s $53 million raise and Naked’s $38 million.
The energy sector followed with an 18 per cent share of the total funding, while logistics and transportation startups secured 10 per cent.
It raised eye brows over the disparity in gender based funding with just over 2 per cent ($10 million) of Q1 funding went to female CEOs.
The largest such deal being a $6.2 million grant awarded to South African biotech firm, African Biologics.
Excluding grant funding, female-led start-ups accounted for a mere 0.7 per cent of all investments while in contrast, Big Deal added that 79 per cent of total funding went to either solo male founders (11 per cent) or all-male founding teams (67 per cent).
It revealed that diverse founding teams attracted 20 per cent of the investment, this remains a modest improvement compared to previous quarters.
“A mere 1% was invested in solo female founders or female-only teams,” the report said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Digital infrastructure company, Equinix Incorporated, has officially opened its latest data center expansion in Lagos as part of efforts to advancing Nigeria’s position in the global digital economy.
Called LG2.3, the facility will support Nigeria’s growing digital transformation efforts, providing state-of-the-art colocation and secure interconnection solutions which will empower businesses across the region.
Nigeria is targeting 200MW data capacity but it so far generates less than 70 MW and with more data center springing up in the country, this will bring further the target to fruition.
Equinix, which is one of these firms, said it is steadfast in its mission to enable secure, scalable, and sustainable digital growth for economies across the world.
Speaking at the inauguration, Mr Bruce Owen, President of EMEA at Equinix, said Nigeria is a crucial market for Equinix, adding that it symbolises Equinix’s continued investment in sustainable initiatives across the globe and highlighting the company’s broader goal of reducing its carbon footprint while supporting greener practices across its operations worldwide.
“Today’s opening is a clear demonstration of our continued commitments to invest and grow digital infrastructure that will benefit the many thousands of businesses in Nigeria and on the continent as a whole. I am deeply encouraged by the enthusiastic partnerships and innovations emerging from this dynamic region, which continue to inspire our commitment to Nigeria’s digital and sustainable future.”
On his part, Mr Wole Abu, Managing Director of Equinix West Africa, highlighted the critical role of data centers in driving economic growth.
“Data centers continue to play a pivotal role in driving economic development in Nigeria, serving as critical infrastructure that supports digital transformation and economic growth. As governments and enterprises increasingly acknowledge their significance, global demand for data center capacity is poised to rise.
“While Africa’s demand for data solutions is still evolving compared to more mature markets, the continent is demonstrating strong potential for digital adoption and innovation. To meet this growing need, Equinix is actively advancing three major data center projects in Nigeria, with future expansion plans for Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and South Africa.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Artificial Intelligence (AI) company, OpenAI, on Monday announced that it closed one of the largest private funding rounds in history to boost AI research.
According to a blog post on the company’s website, OpenAI raised $40 billion in a round that values the company at $300 billion.
Japan’s SoftBank led the round, with other participants including Microsoft, Coatue, Altimeter, and Thrive, all of which are earlier backers in the outfit.
OpenAI said it plans to use the fresh capital to “push the frontiers of AI research even further” and scale its compute infrastructure, according to the blog post.
“[This new capital] enables us to push the frontiers of AI research even further, scale our compute infrastructure, and deliver increasingly powerful tools for the 500 million people who use ChatGPT every week,” OpenAI wrote in the blog post.
“We’re excited to be working in partnership with SoftBank Group — few companies understand how to scale transformative technology like they do.”
About $18 billion of the funding is expected to be used for OpenAI’s commitment to Stargate.
Recall that the joint venture between SoftBank, OpenAI and Oracle was announced by President Donald Trump in January.
The initial funding will be $10 billion, followed by the remaining $30 billion by the end of 2025, the person said. But the round comes with a caveat.
SoftBank said in an updated disclosure that its total investment could be slashed to as low as $20 billion if OpenAI doesn’t restructure into a for-profit entity by December 31.
This come amid pressure on OpenAI to pull off the for-profit conversion, a plan that will need the blessing of Microsoft and the California Attorney General, and has been challenged in court by Mr Elon Musk, who was one of the co-founders of OpenAI in 2015, when it was started as a non-profit research lab.
The company’s current and unusual hybrid structure includes a capped-profit limited partnership created in 2019. The original nonprofit is the controlling shareholder and would be spun out as an independent entity if the company can restructure.
OpenAI’s venture backers have received convertible notes that would turn into equity.
-
Feature/OPED5 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz2 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking7 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy2 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking2 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports2 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn
-
Technology4 years agoHow To Link Your MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile Lines to NIN