The Tool Desk
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1. Turn on Advanced Chat Privacy for sensitive conversations
Advanced Chat Privacy adds restrictions inside an individual chat or group. WhatsApp says it can block chat export, prevent automatic media downloads to participants’ phones and stop messages from being used for AI features. It is intended for conversations where participants should have less ability to move or reuse the content outside WhatsApp.
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How to enable it
- Open the conversation or group.
- Tap the chat or group name at the top.
- Tap Advanced Chat Privacy and switch it on.
WhatsApp announced the feature on April 23, 2025 and said it was rolling out to everyone using the latest version. The label or location can differ by phone, language and rollout stage, so update WhatsApp if the option is missing. This setting does not replace end-to-end encryption: WhatsApp says personal messages and calls are protected so only the intended participants hold the keys needed to read or hear them.
2. Lock chats, then hide the Locked Chats folder
Chat Lock moves selected conversations into a separate Locked Chats folder and requires your device authentication to open them. It is useful when another person may handle your unlocked phone but should not see a particular conversation.
#1 Best Overall
- [2 Pack] This product includes 2 pack privacy screen protectors.WORKS FOR iPhone 17e/16e/14/iPhone 13/13 Pro 6.1 Inch tempered glass screen protector.Featuring maximum protection from scratches, scrapes, and bumps.[Not for iPhone 16 6.1 inch, iPhone 13 mini 5.4 inch, iPhone 13 Pro Max/iPhone 14 Pro Max/iPhone 14 Plus 6.7 inch, iPhone 14 Pro 6.1 inch]
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- High Privacy: Keeps your personal, private, and sensitive information hidden from strangers,screen is only visible to persons directly in front of screen.Good choose when you are in the bus,elevator,metro or other public occasions.(Note: Due to this privacy cover will darken the image to prevent the peeking eyes near you, you might need to turn your device display brightness up a bit when use it.)
- Online video installation instruction: Easiest Installation - removing dust and aligning it properly before actual installation,enjoy your screen as if it wasn't there.
Use the right lock for the right risk
- Chat Lock: protects selected conversations.
- App lock: protects WhatsApp as a whole when the app opens.
After locking a chat, WhatsApp lets you hide the Locked Chats folder so it is not visibly listed in the chat screen. Use your phone’s fingerprint, Face ID or screen-lock authentication when prompted, and remember that anyone who can authenticate to the device may be able to open the protected chats.
3. Use disappearing messages to limit stored history
Disappearing messages let you choose which messages remain available and for how long. This is a retention control: it reduces the amount of conversation history stored in the chat after the selected period.
Rank #2
- [3+3 Pack] This product includes 3 pack privacy screen protectors and 3 pack camera lens protectors with Installation Frame. Works For iPhone 16 [6.1 inch] tempered glass screen protector and camera lens protector. Featuring maximum protection from scratches, scrapes, and bumps. [Not for iPhone 16e 6.1 inch, iPhone 16 Pro 6.3 inch, iPhone 16 Pro Max 6.9 inch, iPhone 16 Plus 6.7 inch]
- Night shooting function: specially designed iPhone 16 6.1 Inch camera lens protective film. The camera lens protector adopts the new technology of "seamless" integration of augmented reality, with light transmittance and night shooting function, without the need to design the flash hole position, when the flash is turned on at night, the original quality of photos and videos can be restored.
- High Privacy: Keeps your personal, private, and sensitive information hidden from strangers, screen is only visible to persons directly in front of screen. Good choose when you are in the bus,elevator,metro or other public occasions. (Note: Due to this privacy cover will darken the image to prevent the peeking eyes near you, you might need to turn your device display brightness up a bit when use it.)
- Easiest Installation - Please watch our installation video tutorial before installation. Removing dust and aligning it properly with the help of the included installation frame before actual installation, enjoy your screen as if it wasn't there.
- 99.99% High-definition clear hydrophobic and oleophobic screen coating protects against sweat and oil residue from fingerprints, and enhance the visibility of the screen.
It is not a guarantee that a recipient cannot preserve what they saw. Someone can quote a message, photograph the screen, copy information elsewhere or use another device before it disappears. Choose the duration in the chat’s message-timer settings, and use the feature alongside—not instead of—careful sharing.
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End-to-end encryption covers messages and calls in transit, but cloud backups require their own protection. WhatsApp says encrypted backups extend end-to-end protection to backups stored in iCloud or Google Drive.
Rank #3
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- [Compatible Models] - 3 Pack Privacy Glass Screen Protector for the iPhone 17e/iPhone 16e/iPhone 14/iPhone 13/iPhone 13 Pro(6.1 inch). Includes 3 privacy screen protectors and a cleaning kit. *Two types of packaging boxes are randomly shipped.
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Where to find the setting
- Open Settings.
- Tap Chats.
- Tap Chat backup.
- Choose End-to-end encrypted backup.
- Select the passkey option if it is offered, then authenticate with your fingerprint, face or screen-lock code.
Meta’s October 30, 2025 announcement said passkeys remove the need to memorize a separate backup password or a 64-digit encryption key. Rollout is gradual, so the passkey choice may not yet appear on every account, device or region. Keep your device authentication method secure: it becomes the way you unlock the encrypted backup.
5. Create a passkey and strengthen two-step verification
A WhatsApp passkey uses your phone’s biometric authentication or screen-lock code instead of relying only on a password sent or typed during sign-in. WhatsApp’s security post dated August 25, 2026 says passkeys can be managed at Settings > Account > Passkeys.
Rank #4
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- True 25° Privacy Protection: Most privacy protector on the market only gives 30° viewing, IMBZBK's Privacy Coatings made of new materials from Germany with Microlourver Optical Technology, It offers optimum 25° degree peep (Smaller viewing angles mean stronger privacy protection). The screen is only visible to persons directly in front of the screen, maximum protection For your privacy & sensitive information, even your friends or colleagues sitting next to you also can't see on your messages.
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- Frontal Ultra HD & Original Touch: IMBZBK's privacy protector break through the defects of the blurred picture of the privacy glass films on the market, highly restore the best visual feast brought by the screen. Even more special...Our 0.28mm ultra-thin privacy glass innovatively applied a 9th gen oleophobic nano coating (top-notch skin-friendly), effectively reduces fingerprints, oil residue by 98% to make it smoother than the original screen!
- Camera Protector & Face ID Compatible: IMBZBK's camera protector made of 9H glass effectively protect entire lens from drops, scratches, other accidents. Nano electrostatic Automatic Adsorption Technology, easy installation and not easy to fall off. Special designed black circle compatible Night Shooting Function, brings you the original of beauty to every photo and video. Due to the precise opening for the front camera, the screen protector does not interfere with the Face ID feature.
Set up account protection
- Open Settings in WhatsApp.
- Tap Account, then Passkeys.
- Follow the on-screen prompt to create a passkey with fingerprint, Face ID or your screen-lock code.
- In the same account-security area, enable or update Two-step verification.
WhatsApp says two-step verification has been upgraded from a six-digit PIN to a longer alphanumeric password that may include special characters. A passkey and two-step verification address account-takeover risk in different ways: the passkey authenticates you with the device, while two-step verification adds a separate secret during registration or recovery. More than 1 billion people use a passkey, according to WhatsApp’s 2026 announcement, but menu names and availability can vary by operating-system version and staged rollout.
6. Silence unknown callers and check caller context
The Silence unknown callers control screens out calls from people who are not in your contacts, reducing interruptions and some scam exposure. Silenced calls can still appear in your call list and notifications, so you retain a record without hearing the phone ring.
Best Value
- [Auto-Dusting Removal Installation] Includes everything you need with innovative automatic positioning, dust removal, and absorption technology, making the installation is just effortlessly easy in seconds. The installation tool is exclusively designed for Apple iPhone 14 6.1 inch, it will help you to install screen protectors without air Bubbles or imperfections, even if you don't have any experience.
- True 25° Privacy Protection: Most privacy protector on the market only gives 30° viewing, IMBZBK's Privacy Coatings made of new materials from Germany with Microlourver Optical Technology, It offers optimum 25° degree peep (Smaller viewing angles mean stronger privacy protection). The screen is only visible to persons directly in front of the screen, maximum protection For your privacy & sensitive information, even your friends or colleagues sitting next to you also can't see on your messages.
- Military-Grade Shatterproof Protection: IMBZBK’s screen protector sets a new industry standard with Aerospace-Grade Glass and Nano-Ceramic Fusion technology, providing 10X stronger protection than standard 9H glass. Certified by international Military Standards and SGS, it offers 10X stronger protection against scratches, bumps, and drops. Rigorously tested with 220 lbs impacts, 10-foot drops, and 10,000+ scratches, it ensures your phone remains unscathed in any environment.
- Frontal Ultra HD & Original Touch: IMBZBK's privacy protector break through the defects of the blurred picture of the privacy glass films on the market, highly restore the best visual feast brought by the screen. Even more special...Our 0.28mm ultra-thin privacy glass innovatively applied a 9th gen oleophobic nano coating (top-notch skin-friendly), effectively reduces fingerprints, oil residue by 98% to make it smoother than the original screen!
- Camera Protector & Face ID Compatible: IMBZBK's camera protector made of 9H glass effectively protect entire lens from drops, scratches, other accidents. Nano electrostatic Automatic Adsorption Technology, easy installation and not easy to fall off. Special designed black circle compatible Night Shooting Function, brings you the original of beauty to every photo and video. Due to the precise opening for the front camera, the screen protector does not interfere with the Face ID feature.
WhatsApp’s 2026 announcement also says Android can show context for an unsaved caller before you answer, such as that the number is associated with a different country or that you share groups. Treat that context as a warning signal, not proof of identity. Verify unexpected requests through a trusted channel and never disclose one-time codes.
7. Tune audience controls instead of relying on one privacy switch
WhatsApp provides separate controls for visibility, retention and group access. Review each one for the outcome you want:
| Control | What it changes | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Online and last-seen visibility | Chooses who can see when you are online or when you last used WhatsApp. | Reduce presence information without blocking contacts. |
| View Once photos and videos | Media is designed to disappear after it is opened. | Limit persistent media in a chat; do not treat it as impossible to copy. |
| Group-add permissions | Controls who can add you to groups. | Prevent unwanted additions and notification floods. |
| Quiet group exits | Lets you leave a group without notifying everyone. | Exit low-value or uncomfortable groups with less attention. |
These settings are independent. Someone can be unable to see your online status yet still add you to a group if group permissions are open; disappearing messages do not change who can view a message before its timer expires. Choose each audience setting based on whether you want less visibility, less retention, fewer unwanted additions or a quieter exit.
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| Your concern | Start with | What it does not solve |
|---|---|---|
| Someone handling your unlocked phone | Chat Lock and a hidden Locked Chats folder | It does not protect every WhatsApp conversation like an app lock does. |
| Too much conversation history | Disappearing messages | Recipients can still retain or reproduce what they saw. |
| Cloud-backup exposure | End-to-end encrypted backup with a passkey, where available | Availability depends on staged rollout and device support. |
| Account takeover | Passkey plus stronger two-step verification | It cannot make a compromised device trustworthy. |
| Spam or scam calls | Silence unknown callers and inspect caller context | It does not verify that a caller is genuine. |
| Unwanted visibility or group additions | Online-status, group, View Once and exit controls | Each control covers only its stated audience or content behavior. |
Platform and rollout notes
Feature names, menu paths and the order of settings can vary between Android and iPhone, by app language and by WhatsApp release. Advanced Chat Privacy was announced for the latest version in April 2025, while passkey-encrypted backups were announced for gradual rollout in October 2025. If a control is absent, update WhatsApp and check again later rather than assuming your account is unsupported. Keep your phone’s operating system, screen lock and biometric settings protected, because several of these features rely on them.
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