Currently, anyone can see your phone number. It’s linked to your account and is visible in groups or to anyone who adds you to their list and starts talking to you. Sure, it is the base of this application. You do not have a user that you access by entering some data, as is the case with other social networks.
WahtsApp will allow you to hide the number
The novelty that they have launched from WhatsApp, for now in their betais that users are going to be able to hide the number. This is yet another effort to improve their privacy protocols. Many consider it an innovative function that will allow the mobile number to be protected and not exposed.
In a common group chat, is where we are most exposed. Think about a group that you get into by mistake or where you really don’t want to be. It may even be of interest to you, but you don’t want the whole world to see your number. There you are exposed to many contacts. That is what WhatsApp is going to avoid now, although for the moment in its Beta version.
This is going to be available for both iOS and Android users. What it allows is make the number invisible so that others cannot see it. Of course, the rest of the group members will receive an alert, it seems, where they will see that we have made the number private and they will not be able to see it. In that sense, they do not maintain the privacy that it is only us who know, directly, that we have hidden it.
There is an important limitation, and that is that if we are administrators We will not be able to hide the number of that group. In a way, it makes sense; At the end of the day, we, as administrators, are going to be the ones who decide who is or is not in that group and, therefore, we should not worry about them seeing the number.
This function will also allow us to prevent anyone from adding us to their account. We are going to gain privacy and we will have greater control. With its limitations, it is undoubtedly a feature highly demanded by many to avoid problems.
Protect your WhatsApp
Beyond functions like this, it is essential to protect WhatsApp correctly. What can we do? The first thing is do not fall into potential traps. For example, do not click on links that come to you from messages of this type. Avoid downloading files that may be fraudulent, as they may contain malware.
You should also always use official applications. Be careful using software that may have been modified, as it could expose your security. You should apply the same to any other program you use, whatever it is. You should always go to the official pages or use app stores like Google Play, where they use filters.
Also, have a good anti virus installed will always come in handy to increase protection. It will help you detect malicious files, such as a document that comes to you by mail and you download it by mistake. The same if it is anything that is sent to you by WhatsApp and it is a fraud.
In short, as you can see, WhatsApp improves privacy. For now in its Beta version, it will be possible to hide the phone number in groups. You are going to prevent anyone from adding you or seeing what your mobile number is. It is important to know how to act if the mobile number is hacked.
