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How to protect your IP address when making WhatsApp calls
In This Article
WhatsApp is a handy way to make crystal clear voice calls over the web, especially when traditional cellular service is limited.
However, until now it has come with a major privacy caveat – the ability for the call recipient to see your IP address, which carries information about your location and service provider.
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Today, WhatsApp has revealed users can now choose whether they want to show their IP address when making those VoIP calls.
WhatApp is achieving this by relaying the calls through WhatsApp’s servers, which is how to already handles group chats.
This means your call won’t be connected directly and will avoid revealing your IP address to the person you’re calling. However, it does mean there’s a chance call quality will be reduced.
It’s quite a simple process that’ll give you an extra layer of security when making calls via WhatsApp.
What you’ll need
The Short Version
Step1
Open WhatsApp
Open the WhatsApp app on your iPhone or Android. To ensure you’re running the latest version of the app, check WhatsApp on your App Store.
Step2
Tap the Settings cog
The bottom right of the app, on iPhone, sits in the bottom right corner of the application’s home screen. Tap this cog
Step3
Select Privacy
Open up the Privacy tab within the Settings screen
Step4
Open the Advanced setting
Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the display to find the Advanced settings
Step5
Enable Protect IP address in calls
Simply toggle on the only option to protect your IP address in calls. From here your calls will be routed through WhatsApp servers.
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Chris Smith is a freelance technology journalist for a host of UK tech publications, including Trusted Reviews. He’s based in South Florida, USA. …
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Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
