On WhatsApp, a discreet setting allows you to better protect your privacy during calls. You still need to know where to find it.
We often think we are safe on WhatsApp, when we make audio or video calls or send messages to our loved ones. However, some risks go largely under the radar. Account hacking, fake profiles, trapped links, recovery of personal data… Without even realizing it, many users leak sensitive information simply by using the application on a daily basis.
Among the lesser known points of vigilance is that of calls. When two people communicate via the Internet, certain technical data may circulate in the background. And among them, the IP address, an element which can, in certain cases, give indications on the approximate location of a user. This detail, often ignored by the general public, is nevertheless enough to arouse the interest of people with ill intentions, particularly in the context of fraud, harassment or intrusion into private life.
The good news is that WhatsApp now offers an option to limit this exposure. To activate it, you must open the application, go to the settings, then to the tab dedicated to confidentiality. Next, go to the advanced settings, where a feature appears to protect the IP address during calls. Once this setting is activated, communications go through WhatsApp’s servers, which prevents the other interlocutor from directly accessing this data.
This little button can make a real difference for those who want to increase their online discretion. However, you should be aware that when using this relay system, the quality of the call can sometimes be slightly worse. Nothing dramatic in most cases, but this compromise exists. For many users, it nevertheless remains largely acceptable in view of the gain in confidentiality.
This setting does not exempt you from adopting other safety reflexes. Enabling two-step verification, updating the app regularly, and being extra cautious about unusual messages are always good habits to get into. Because on WhatsApp as elsewhere, digital threats are not always visible at first glance – and that is often what makes them the most formidable.
