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Message privately

Your privacy is our priority. With end-to-end encryption on WhatsApp, your personal messages, photos, calls and more stay between you and the people you choose, meaning not even WhatsApp can see them.

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Whether it’s your confessions, your difficult debates, or silly inside jokes, WhatsApp privacy helps your conversations stay protected.

End-to-end encryption

Personal messages, calls, photos and videos are secured with a lock with end-to-end encryption on WhatsApp, only the recipient and you have the special key needed to unlock and read them.

Additional layers of privacy

Beyond end-to-end encryption, WhatsApp offers additional layers of protection to all of your conversations.

Control the privacy you need

With WhatsApp privacy settings, you get to choose what you share, how you show up online, or who can talk to you.

WhatsApp chat screen displaying recent conversations, a Locked chats option, and a Meta AI search bar.

Chat lock

Password protect your most personal chats so you can help keep them private and secure. Locked chats will be hidden from your chats list in the Locked Chats folder, so you can prevent anyone else using your phone from seeing them.

Learn more

Disappearing messages

With disappearing messages, you can control which messages stick around and for how long, by setting them up to disappear after you’ve sent them.

Learn more
WhatsApp group info screen for 'Breakfast Club' displaying settings like mute, encryption, and chat lock.
WhatsApp settings screen showing the 'Silence unknown callers' feature with its toggle switch turned on.

Silence unknown callers

Screen out spam and unknown contacts from calling you, so you can focus on conversations that really matter to you.

Learn more

End-to-End Encrypted
backups

Keep your online backups private. Turn on encrypted backups to extend the security of WhatsApp end-to-end encryption to your messages saved in iCloud or Google Drive.

Learn more
WhatsApp setup screen to turn on end-to-end encrypted backups.
WhatsApp privacy settings screen for 'Last seen and online' showing visibility options.

Last seen
and online

Choose to be seen by only those you want. You can customize your privacy settings to choose who can see when you’re online, and when you last used WhatsApp.

Learn more

Security
and safety

Protect your account from hackers and scammers and stop unwanted chats.

Learn more
WhatsApp screenshots showing security features, focusing on a 'Report to WhatsApp' dialog box with a block checkbox.
WhatsApp Privacy checkup intro screen with text 'Your privacy matters' and security icons.

Privacy check up

Personalize your WhatsApp privacy settings with easy step-by-step guidance to help you keep your WhatsApp safe and private. Choose the right level of protection for you.

Learn more
WhatsApp screen showing a surprised woman's photo with a toast message 'Photo set to view once'.

View once

Send photos and videos that disappear after they’re opened. Perfect for moments you don’t want saved.

Learn more
WhatsApp privacy settings screen showing options for 'Who can add me to groups'.

Group privacy settings

You can choose who can add you to group chats, giving you more control over your privacy and unwanted group messages.

Learn more
WhatsApp profile photo privacy settings screen with 'My contacts' selected.

Profile photo privacy

Decide who can see your profile photo.

WhatsApp Status privacy settings showing 'Specific contacts' selected for 23 people.

Status privacy

Choose who can see your status updates by adding them to your status audience or mentioning people or groups in your status.

Learn more
WhatsApp App lock settings screen displaying a 'Confirm biometrics' pop-up asking to scan a fingerprint.

Face or Touch ID, and Fingerprint Lock

To help keep your chats private, Lock your WhatsApp so only you can access it.

WhatsApp group settings screen showing options for chat lock and a red 'Exit group' button at the bottom.

Leave groups silently

Your group won’t get notified if you decide to exit the chat, keeping your actions more private and giving you more control.

Need more help?

See all FAQs
What is end-to-end encryption?
What is two-step verification?
Is WhatsApp private and secure?
How to change your privacy settings on WhatsApp
Answering your questions about privacy on WhatsApp.
See all FAQs
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Status

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