WhatsApp is an important application in people’s lives. It is the only popular application that people use to communicate in different parts of the world. While WhatsApp has many security features, you may remember that the platform only recently added the ability to link multiple devices. This creates a possibility that someone is using your account on a phone that you previously linked and forgot to unlink. Here’s how to check if someone is using your WhatsApp account
Check if someone is using your WhatsApp account
Checking if someone is using your WhatsApp on another device is a simple process. You can do this by using the primary device that you used to link the other devices and then checking the active sessions. Here’s how to do it:
On Android
To find out who is using your WhatsApp account, you need to go to the Linked Devices section in the WhatsApp app.
- On WhatsApp, tap the 3 dots icon top right and select Connected devices.
- On the Linked Devices page, you should see all WhatsApp sessions under “Device Status”.
- Sessions will show you the last active date and time when WhatsApp was used on different devices linked to your account.
- From here, you can narrow down which devices don’t belong to you. You can also check the last active time to find devices that have recently logged into your WhatsApp account. Last activity the text should tell you the exact time.
On iPhone
The Linked Devices section on iPhones can be accessed from the Settings tab.
- On WhatsApp, go to Settings > Connected devices.
- The page displays all active WhatsApp sessions under “Linked Devices” along with the date and time of the last activity.
Log out of WhatsApp account on unknown devices
Now that you know that your WhatsApp account is active on the other device, if you don’t want the other party to view your messages, you can unlink the account remotely from the Linked Devices menu. Here’s how to do it:
On Android
Logging out of a WhatsApp session on Android can be done from the same Linked Devices screen.
- Go to WhatsApp > 3 dots icon > Connected devices.
- Select a session under “Device Status”.
- Press Log out to remove your WhatsApp account from this device.
On iPhone
To log out of a WhatsApp session, you need to go to the Linked Devices section in the Settings tab.
- Faucet Settings > Connected devices.
- Here, select a device you want to sign out of.
- Finally, press Log out.
Once you have logged out, the session should say “logout pending”. When the other person tries to access your WhatsApp through the linked device, the session should disappear from the list. This is one of the ways to know that someone was trying to access your WhatsApp account.
Protect your WhatsApp account
While it’s highly unlikely that someone could have accessed your account through this simple means, it’s possible that they could have sneaked into your phone and linked your account. The easiest way to prevent this from happening is to set up two-factor authentication, or as WhatsApp calls it, two-step verification. Additionally, you can also enable app lock from WhatsApp settings.
On Android
You can enable two-step verification on WhatsApp on Android from the Settings screen.
- Launch WhatsApp on your phone and tap the 3 dots icon > Settings.
- Once in settings, navigate to Account > Two-step verification.
- Press To light up and enter the PIN you want to set for verification. Choose a PIN you will remember, as you will need it every time you set up WhatsApp on a new phone.
- Add an email in case you forget the PIN. If you don’t want to, tap Jump instead.
- Now go back to the Settings screen. Here, go to Confidentiality > App Lock.
- Turn it on Unlocking with a biometrics switch and use your fingerprint to activate it.
- For added security, select Immediately in the “Lock Automatically” section.
On iPhone
The process of enabling two-step verification and WhatsApp app lock on iOS is more or less the same as on Android. Here’s how to do it.
- Go to Settings > Account on WhatsApp.
- Press Two-step verification and select To light up.
- Enter an easy-to-remember 6-digit PIN. Enter it again to confirm.
- Two-step verification will now be active on your WhatsApp account.
- To better protect your account, return to the Settings screen and select Confidentiality.
- Here, scroll down and tap App Lock.
- Now turn on the Requires Face ID/Touch ID toggle and select Immediately.
This is how you can check if someone else is using your WhatsApp account and log out of the session. Enabling 2FA and app lock should be a priority if you are surrounded by bad actors and are worried about it happening again.
What do you think about WhatsApp as a messaging platform? Let us know in the comments below.
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