From personal conversation with friends to having business deals get fixed, we are all hooked to WhatsApp for communication. You ask why? It’s convenient, you can call, you can video chat, share voice notes, photos, links, documents and other stuff. However, the messaging app makes things a bit tricky as well as ‘risky’ at times. Here are 10 mistakes that you should stop doing right away for better protection - 


1. ​Stop allowing everyone to access your WhatsApp


Get it in your habbit to clean your contact list and delete phone numbers of people you are no longer in touch with. Just like how people move in and out of life, your mobile address book should reflect that too.


2. Avoid using someone else’s name with your account


Don’t make the mistake of running whatsapp using someone else’s name with your account as it comes under impersonation and a crime. 


3. Don't reveal too much in WhatsApp


Make sure your profile photo doesn’t reveal too much about you or your family members. For this, you can choose three privacy options namely: Everyone, My Contacts, and No One.


4. Hide status message from irrelevant people


It is suggested that you hide your WhatsApp status from irrelevant people. 


5. Stop auto-backup of chats


Did you know that WhatsApp chat backups saved in iCloud or Google Drive are not encrypted? Hence, it is recommended to export your important chats and save it securely somewhere else. 


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6. Disable automatic downloading of all WhatsApp media files


You must note that all the files from your WhatsApp consume your phone’s internal storage. Thus, you must disable the function to automatically download  all media files in your phone's gallery. 


7. Restrict permission to add you to several groups


It is recommended that you restrict the option to allow anyone to add you to any group.


8. Must not share unverified news


You must avoid sharing unverified news or rumours on sensitive topics on WhatsApp. This is crime and may land you in jail. 


9. Two-Step Verification Pin


It is highlu recommended to do two-step verification as it prevents you from being a victim of swim swap fraud and hacking. By doing so, others can’t set up your whatsapp account on another phone by stealing OPT from you.


10. WhatsApp lock 


Make sure to preserve your privacy by using Touch ID, Face ID or with Fingerprint lock. Set the timeout depending upon your usage before the app goes into standby mode.