There is a new option on WhatsApp. Anyone who activates it protects their IP address. You share this unconsciously many times in your daily life.
- WhatsApp now lets you disable link previews.
- This will prevent your IP address from being passed on to third parties.
- You can recognize yourself by this.
WhatsApp is introducing a new feature to protect your data. The messenger recommends it to people “who particularly value data protection”. With this option, you can now prevent the creation of a link preview. If you send someone a link, a preview consisting of an image and a page title will not be generated. Why would this make sense?
According to WhatsApp's FAQ, you can avoid having your IP address transmitted to third parties. You and your location can be identified by your IP address.
Link preview can now be disabled.
These link previews can also inadvertently reveal more details about you. In 2016, for example, developer Ross McKillop discovered that link previews in Apple iMessage could be used to determine which device and operating system version you’re using. Such information could be interesting for hackers to devise potential attack scenarios. However, it’s not known whether WhatsApp link previews also pass on the corresponding information.
If you disable link preview, this only applies to links you have sent. WhatsApp still generates a preview of links your contacts send you. According to WhatsApp, this does not reveal your IP address.
This is how you disable link preview.
To disable link previews on your device, you must do the following:
- Open WhatsApp settings and select “Privacy”.
- Click on “Advanced” here.
- Then toggle the switch next to “Disable link preview.”
WhatsApp has been known to be working on a similar option since April. The switch was first spotted in the settings of beta versions 2.24.8.11 (Android) and 24.7.10.76 (iOS). Now it's available to everyone, at least on Android phones.
However, WhatsApp has not officially announced the availability of the function, but has quietly and secretly rolled out the feature. In the editorial office it was working on devices with a version of WhatsApp 2.24.12.78 available.
In addition to the ability to disable link previews, WhatsApp also offers the option to hide your IP address during video calls.
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