look news india
Instant messaging app WhatsApp has become the most important part of our personal and professional lives today. From office projects to family groups and transactions with strangers, the use of WhatsApp has become mandatory everywhere. However, the biggest weakness of WhatsApp has always been that to start a chat with anyone, your personal mobile number goes directly to the other person. Many times, sharing of numbers with unknown people, cab drivers, online delivery agents or commercial groups increases the risk of spam calls, online fraud and privacy leaks manifold. To address this concern of users, WhatsApp has rolled out many new privacy features. If you also want to use WhatsApp without revealing your personal number, then these 4 magical methods like ‘Ghost Mode’ will make your experience completely secure.
WhatsApp has introduced its most awaited ‘Unique Username’ feature on the lines of Telegram and Instagram. This feature is proving to be the biggest game-changer in the world of privacy on WhatsApp.
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How does it work: Now there is no need to share 10 digit mobile number to chat with anyone. You can set a unique username of your choice (like @yourname_official).
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Identity is completely confidential: The other person can chat with you directly by just entering your username in the search bar. On the chat screen, he will see only your username and profile name, your real phone number will remain completely hidden.
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How to set: Go to WhatsApp Settings, click on the Profile section and select the ‘Username’ option to reserve a username of your choice.
If you do not want to share your primary SIM card number with any unknown platform or business, then the safest way is to use a virtual number.
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What is virtual number: It is a telephone number activated through the internet without any physical plastic SIM card.
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How to use: There are many legitimate and secure apps available on Google Play Store or App Store (like TextNow, Skype Number or other VoIP service providers) that provide international or local virtual numbers.
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WhatsApp Setup: Enter this virtual number in WhatsApp. Complete the verification by entering the SMS or voice call OTP received on the number in the app. In this way you will start a completely separate WhatsApp account, which will not have any direct connection with your personal number or telecom company.
Most people are not aware that it is not mandatory to have a mobile number to start a WhatsApp account. If you have an old landline (BSNL, Airtel etc.) or broadband landline connection in your home, shop or office, then you can run WhatsApp from that also.
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Advantages of different profiles: Download the ‘WhatsApp Business’ app on your phone.
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Setup Process: Instead of mobile number, enter landline number along with STD code of your city.
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Select ‘Call Me’ option: Since normal SMS does not come on landlines, tap on the ‘Call Me’ option after the ‘Resend SMS’ time is over. Your landline phone will ring and the 6 digit OTP will be spoken in computer voice.
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Complete Privacy: With this number you can send messages to anyone and join groups. With this, your personal mobile number will never reach any unknown group or person.
If you want to use WhatsApp completely anonymously (Ghost) on your existing number, immediately apply this combination of WhatsApp’s in-built privacy settings:
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Last Seen and Online Hide: Go to Settings > Privacy > Last Seen & Online. ‘Who can see my last seen’ Nobody And ‘Who can see when I’m online’ Same as last seen Set to. With this, you will not be visible online to anyone even after being online the whole day.
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Save Profile Photo and About: Set your profile photo, ‘About’ and ‘Status’ to ‘My Contacts only’ or ‘My Contacts Except…’. With this, no unknown person outside your phone book will be able to see your photo or bio.
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Turn off Read Receipts (blue tick): Go to Settings > Privacy and turn off ‘Read Receipts’. With this you will read anyone’s message, but the other person will never know whether you have seen the message or not.
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Silence Unknown Callers: Go to Privacy > Calls and turn on ‘Silence Unknown Callers’. With this, all WhatsApp audio and video calls coming from unknown numbers will automatically be muted and will not disturb you unnecessarily.
People are often lured on the internet to download unauthorized and modified apps like ‘GB WhatsApp’ or ‘WhatsApp Plus’ in the name of Ghost Mode. According to cyber security experts, such apps should not be used even by mistake. These apps do not follow official end-to-end encryption, due to which your personal data, bank OTP and chat can fall into the hands of hackers. Apart from this, using such unauthorized apps may result in permanent ban of your number by Meta (Whatsapp). Always stick to the official WhatsApp app and its legal settings.