How to make a private chat in WhatsApp - briefly?
To create a private chat in WhatsApp, open the app and tap on the 'New Chat' icon. Then, select the contact you wish to chat with privately.
How to make a private chat in WhatsApp - in detail?
Creating a private chat on WhatsApp involves several steps to ensure your conversation remains secure and confidential. Here is a detailed guide on how to achieve this:
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Update Your App: First, make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed on your device. Updates often include new features and security enhancements that can improve your chat experience.
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Enable Biometric Authentication: To add an extra layer of security to your chats, enable biometric authentication (fingerprint or Face ID) in the settings. This ensures that only you can access your WhatsApp conversations.
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Set Up Two-Step Verification: Two-step verification adds an extra layer of security to your account. When enabled, any attempt to verify your phone number on WhatsApp must be accompanied by a unique six-digit PIN that you know.
- Go to Settings > Account > Two-step verification > Enable.
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Create a New Contact or Group: To start a private chat, you can either create a new contact or a group with the person(s) you wish to communicate with.
- For a new contact: Go to Contacts > Add New Contact.
- For a group: Go to Chats > New Group.
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Use End-to-End Encryption: WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption by default, which means only you and the person you’re communicating with can read what is sent, and nobody in between, not even WhatsApp. Ensure that your messages are always encrypted.
- This feature is enabled by default and does not require any additional steps.
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Disable Read Receipts: If you want to prevent others from knowing whether you’ve read their messages, you can disable read receipts. However, this setting applies to all chats, not just private ones.
- Go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Read Receipts > Off.
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Set Up Disappearing Messages: This feature allows you to set a timer for messages in a chat, so they disappear after a certain period of time. It’s ideal for sensitive information that you don’t want to stick around forever.
- Open the chat > Tap on the contact's name at the top > Disappearing Messages > On. Choose the duration (24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days).
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Regularly Review and Delete Chats: Periodically review your chats and delete any sensitive information that you no longer need. This helps in maintaining the privacy of your conversations.
- Long press on a message > Select messages to delete > Tap on the trash can icon.
By following these steps, you can significantly enhance the privacy and security of your WhatsApp chats, ensuring that your conversations remain confidential and protected from unauthorized access.