WhatsApp was one of the first social media platforms to provide its users with free instant messaging services. Currently, the app is used by more than 2 billion people. Thanks to its ability to streamline communication. Interestingly when WhatsApp was introduced, people began complaining about the costs of SMS texts.
The app simplified communication, and users were no more worried about the length of their messages and heavy multimedia files. Given that you have a WiFi connection or mobile data available, you can reach out to anyone on the planet through texts messages, voice, or video calls on WhatsApp.
Netizens can no longer imagine paying inflated rates for overseas calling minutes. Thanks to WhatsApp, which has drastically changed the way people make international calls for personal and professional reasons. With WhatsApp, you no longer need to pay a hefty amount to call your high school buddy living in a different country or a colleague from another corner of the world.
Furthermore, the accessibility of the app plays a significant role in its wide-scale popularity. Unlike certain apps which cater to only Apple or Android users, WhatsApp is platform antagonistic. This means that the app can be installed and run on almost every device.
Currently, smartphone owners can’t just avoid using the app to carry out their day-to-day communication over the internet. However, it is not unnatural to receive weird messages from random people and unknown numbers on WhatsApp. Is there a way to prevent unknown people from sending you messages on WhatsApp? Before finding out how to bar such messages, let us figure out how to ensure your privacy on this platform.
How to Stop Getting Messages from Unknown Numbers on Whatsapp
WhatsApp doesn’t have a built-in feature that automatically identifies unknown numbers and blocks them. But when you receive a message from an unknown number, WhatsApp lets you know about it, and you get two options BLOCK and ADD. To stop messages from that such accounts, you should block them. We have listed down the various steps associated with blocking an account.
Step 1: As the first step, open WhatsApp chat from an unknown number.
Step 2: Right below their number, you would find two options: BLOCK and ADD. Tap on BLOCK.
Step 3: You can then see a pop-up message on your screen. The message would read Blocked contacts cannot call or send you messages. This contact will not be notified. Affirm the message by tapping on the BLOCK option. If you want to Report the Account, you can tap on the Report contact button.
How to Ensure Privacy of Whatsapp Account
It is not uncommon for people to send you creepy texts from unknown numbers on WhatsApp. This makes WhatsApp a platform for fake news and spammy links. But there are specific techniques you should implement to take care of your privacy and security on the platform. For instance, make sure your Profile photo is set to My contacts and not Everyone. Similarly, you should set your About to My contacts. Want to know how to do these?
Step 1: Open the WhatsApp app on your smartphone and tap on the three dots icon appearing on the top right corner of your screen.
Step 2: Now, choose Settings when a list of options appears on your screen. You can find Settings at the bottom of the menu.
Step 3: On the Settings screen, choose Account, which has a key icon next to it.
Step 4: On the Account screen, tap on the Privacy option. You can find the Privacy option at the top of the list with a lock icon next to it.
Step 5: As soon as the privacy screen appears, tap on the Profile photo and then set it to My contacts.
Step 6: As the sixth step, tap on About and set it to My Contacts.
Remember that the steps mentioned above can’t stop random people from sending you messages on WhatsApp. However, by taking these measures, you can still protect your privacy to some extent. We hope you can keep your Account secure by carefully following these steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when you report someone?
When you report someone on WhatsApp, the person won’t be able to call or text you. Additionally, the Account gets added to a watchlist, and WhatsApp collects certain information such as user ID and the last five messages and when they sent the messages. In case there have been repeated reports against the number, WhatsApp might ban the Account.
What to do when I receive suspicious messages on WhatsApp?
When messages from unknown numbers on WhatsApp have a couple of grammatical errors, or they ask you to provide your personal information, do not respond. Similarly, do not reply if the messages are about activating a link, forwarding certain information, or paying for WhatsApp’s service. All these messages are unwanted and suspicious. When you receive such messages, delete them and then report the number.
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