How to protect your WhatsApp account against hacking
What's the story
Despite WhatsApp being end-to-end encrypted, it is possible for the popular chat app to be hacked.
Hackers can get access to the personal data associated with your WhatsApp account by various means.
Here is everything you need to know about how WhatsApp accounts can be hacked and how you can safeguard them against the same.
Duping users
How can your WhatsApp account be hacked?
Even though the same WhatsApp number cannot be used on two different mobile devices at the same time, your personal chats can be spied upon via WhatsApp Web.
Hackers just need to acquire your WhatsApp Web QR code. Another way in which WhatsApp accounts are hacked is by registering your WhatsApp number on another device, activating your account, and recovering all your chats.
Activated accounts
How to check if your WhatsApp account has been hacked?
You can check if your WhatsApp Web is active on an unknown device by clicking on the three dots at the top-right corner of your WhatsApp screen. Go to "WhatsApp Web" and check the list of all open sessions.
Next, if your WhatsApp is displaying the message, "This phone could not be verified," the account has been registered with your number on another device.
Regain access
What to do if your WhatsApp account has been hacked?
Log out of all active WhatsApp Web sessions and the hacker will instantly lose access to your account.
Deactivate your account by e-mailing the issue to support@whatsapp.com. If you don't reactivate it in 30 days, it will get deleted.
Delete and reinstall the app so that your account is re-registered with a fresh verification code and automatically logs out from any unauthorized sessions.
Precautions
How to protect your WhatsApp account against hacking?
Enable two-step authentication on your account by going to WhatsApp > Menu > Settings > Account > Enable 2 Step-verification.
This way, if someone tries to activate your account on another device, he will be asked for a security code he won't know.
Lock WhatsApp with App Lock, so that even if someone catches hold of your phone, he is unable to access WhatsApp.