WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion active users. With so many people using WhatsApp, it’s important to know how to find and adjust your account settings to control notifications, privacy, data usage, and more. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through exactly where to locate all of WhatsApp’s account settings and what the different options do.
Accessing WhatsApp Settings
The WhatsApp settings menu is where you can configure various options for your account. Here are the steps to access your WhatsApp settings on both iPhone and Android devices:
iPhone
1. Open the WhatsApp app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on the Settings tab at the bottom right.
3. Tap on the Account icon at the top of the screen.
4. You will now see all of the available WhatsApp account settings.
Android
1. Open WhatsApp and tap on the 3 dot menu icon in the top right.
2. Select Settings.
3. Tap on Account.
4. You will now see the account settings menu.
Notification Settings
One of the most important parts of WhatsApp’s settings is configuring your notifications. Here you can control if, when and how you are notified about new WhatsApp messages.
Sound Notifications
Under Notifications > Sound notifications, you can toggle sound notifications on or off. Having sound notifications turned on will play a sound each time you receive a new WhatsApp message.
You can also set a custom notification sound if you don’t want to use the default.
Popup Notification
Popup notifications makes a new WhatsApp message pop up on your phone’s screen, even when you are in another app. To enable, go to Notifications > Popup notification and toggle on.
Vibration
To make your phone vibrate when a new WhatsApp message comes in, go to Vibration and toggle it on. You can also customize the vibration pattern.
Light
Some phones have a notification LED light. To make the light flash when you get a new WhatsApp notification, go to Light and turn on.
Message Preview
By default, a preview of new WhatsApp messages will show on your phone’s lock screen and notifications. To disable previews for more privacy, go to Notifications > Message preview and select “No preview.”
Privacy Settings
WhatsApp has robust privacy options to control who can see your information and when you’re online.
Last Seen
The Last seen setting controls who can see the last time you were actively using WhatsApp. There are three options:
– Everyone: Anyone can see your Last seen time.
– My Contacts: Only people in your contacts can see your active status.
– Nobody: Completely hides your Last seen time from everyone.
To change, go to Account > Privacy > Last seen.
Profile Photo
By default, your profile photo is visible to all WhatsApp users. To limit visibility, go to Profile Photo and select an option:
– Everyone: Default setting, all users can see profile photo.
– My Contacts: Only your contacts can see profile photo.
– Nobody: Profile photo hidden from everyone.
About
The About section shows additional info like your bio and status. Modify who can view your About details under Account > Privacy > About.
Status
Your WhatsApp status updates (photos, videos) have their own privacy settings. Go to Account > Privacy > Status to change who can view status updates.
Groups
Control which groups you are visible in under Privacy > Groups. The options are:
– Everyone: You are visible in all common groups.
– My Contacts: Only visible in groups with your contacts.
– My Contacts Except: Hide your presence from specific contacts in groups.
Read Receipts
Read receipts show when a recipient has read your message. You can disable sending read receipts under Account > Privacy > Read Receipts.
Security Settings
It’s important to enable WhatsApp’s security features to protect your account and messages.
Two-Step Verification
Two-step verification adds an extra layer of security by requiring a PIN when registering your phone number with WhatsApp again. Highly recommended to enable under Account > Two-step verification.
Change Number
If you need to change your associated phone number, use the Change number option. This will migrate your account history to the new number.
Request Account Info
To download a report of your WhatsApp account information and settings, use the Request account info option.
Delete My Account
Should you ever need to delete your WhatsApp account entirely, you can under Account > Delete my account. This is irreversible.
Chats Settings
Customize your messaging experience with these chat settings.
Wallpaper
Set a custom wallpaper to display in the background when chatting under Chats > Wallpaper.
Theme
Switch up WhatsApp’s look and color scheme by changing the theme under Chats > Theme.
Chat History
You can export your WhatsApp chat history to email or other apps under Chats > Chat history.
Font Size
Make your chats easier to read by increasing the font size under Chats > Font size.
Enter is Send
Toggles the enter button to send messages instead of tapping the send icon. Found under Chats > Enter is send.
Data Usage Settings
Manage your data and storage under the Data usage settings.
Media Auto-Download
Autodownloading uses mobile data to automatically fetch media sent to you. Disable autodownload for conversations and when roaming under Data usage > Media auto-download to save data.
Storage Usage
View how much storage WhatsApp media is taking up under Data usage > Storage usage. You can also manage, clear, or delete existing media here.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Notifications | Control notification settings for new messages |
| Privacy | Configure privacy options for last seen, profile, and more |
| Security | Enable two-step verification and other security features |
| Chats | Customize chat wallpaper, font sizes, and history |
| Data Usage | Manage media autodownload and storage usage |
Backing Up Your WhatsApp Account
It’s important to regularly back up your WhatsApp account to preserve your messages and data. WhatsApp offers multiple backup options.
Google Drive Backups (Android)
For Android users, WhatsApp can automatically back up your account data to Google Drive. Enable under Settings > Chats > Chat backup > Back up to Google Drive.
You can customize the backup frequency and exclude large videos if desired. Google Drive backups are encrypted end-to-end for privacy.
iCloud Backups (iPhone)
On iPhone, WhatsApp uses iCloud to securely back up your chats. Enable backups under Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Auto Backup.
You can exclude videos or set backups to only occur when you’re on WiFi to save data. iCloud backups are fully encrypted.
Local Backups
You can also create encrypted local backups of WhatsApp to your device’s storage. Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat backup > Back up to local storage.
This lets you restore WhatsApp without Google Drive or iCloud if needed.
Troubleshooting WhatsApp Problems
If you encounter issues using WhatsApp, there are some troubleshooting steps you can take.
Battery Usage
If WhatsApp is draining your battery, turn off background data usage and reduce notifications. Under Data usage, disable “Use less data for calls” as this can increase battery drain.
Slow Connection
Switch your connection method to WiFi if possible. Under Data usage, enable low data usage mode or disable media autodownload.
Forgotten PIN
If you forget your two-step verification PIN, you can reset it through your email or by waiting 7 days.
Can’t Verify Phone Number
Issues verifying your number can be fixed by manually entering your country code and restarting the verification process.
Can’t Receive Messages
Check your internet connection. Force close and restart the WhatsApp app. Your number may be banned, in which case you will need a new number.
Account Banned
Accounts are rarely banned without reason. It’s usually due to violating WhatsApp’s terms of service in some way. You will need to create a new account with a different phone number.
Conclusion
WhatsApp has a wide array of account settings to customize notifications, privacy, security, chats, and data usage. The key settings include notification controls, two-step verification for enhanced security, chat wallpaper and font size, controlling media autodownload, and enabling backups. Regularly backing up your chat history to Google Drive or iCloud is recommended to avoid losing your conversations. If you follow the instructions in this guide, you can optimize your WhatsApp experience and troubleshoot any issues that may arise. Let us know if you have any other questions!