WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, offering a wide range of settings to help you personalize your user experience. Whether you want to manage privacy, control storage, change how media is downloaded, or customize notifications everything can be done through WhatsApp’s basic settings.
In this article, we’ll break down the most useful WhatsApp basic settings with simple explanations so you can take full control of your chats and app behavior.
1. Media Visibility
By default, WhatsApp downloads all images and videos and shows them in your phone’s gallery. If you want more privacy, you can turn off media visibility.
How to Enable/Disable Media Visibility:
Go to Settings > Chats
Tap on Media visibility
Select No to stop WhatsApp from showing downloaded media in the gallery.
You can also control media visibility per chat:
Open any chat > Tap the contact name > Media visibility > No
✅ Great for keeping your phone gallery clean and private.
2. Custom Notifications
Don’t miss important messages from special contacts. With custom notifications, you can assign different tones or vibration settings to each contact.
How to Set Custom Notification:
Tap on a chat, then the contact’s name, and choose ‘Custom Notifications’ to customize how you're notified.
Check “Use custom notifications”
Set custom tone, vibration, popup, and light
✅ Useful for business chats or close contacts.
- Disappearing Messages
- Last Seen, Profile Picture
- About & Group Privacy
Disappearing Messages:
Automatically delete messages after a set time to keep chats clean or private.
How to Enable:
Open chat > Tap contact name > Disappearing messages
Choose duration: 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days
Privacy Options
WhatsApp lets you control who can see your Last Seen, Profile Photo, About, Status, and Groups.
Go to Settings > Privacy
- Last seen & online
- Profile photo
- About
- Status
- Groups
Choose from:
- Everyone
- My contacts
- My contacts except
- Nobody
✅ Perfect for protecting your privacy and limiting what others can see.
4. Storage and Data Settings
WhatsApp allows you to control how much data is used, especially helpful for those on limited data plans.
Go to Settings > Storage and data
Auto-download Settings:
Photos, Audio, Videos, Documents can be set to download:
When using mobile data
When connected on Wi-Fi
While roaming
Tip: Disable auto-download for videos to save space.
Media Upload Quality:
- Choose the quality of media you send:
- Auto
- Best quality
- Data saver
Proxy Settings
If WhatsApp is blocked in your region, you can connect via a Proxy Server.
How to set proxy:
To set up a proxy, open WhatsApp and go to Settings, then tap on 'Storage and Data' and select 'Proxy' at the bottom.
Enable it and enter proxy address
✅ Improves speed, saves data, and helps bypass internet restrictions.
5. Chat Settings and Themes
Personalize your WhatsApp interface easily.
Go to Settings > Chats
Theme:
Choose between:
- Light mode
- Dark mode
- System default
Also available:
- Font size
- Wallpaper for individual chats
6. Labels and Broadcast Lists
Broadcast Lists:
Share the same message with several contacts privately, without creating a group
Steps:
Tap the three dots menu > New broadcast
Select contacts and send messages individually
Labels
Organize chats by label
Go to:
Chat > Tap the three-dot menu > Label chat
✅ Best for business owners to stay organized.
7. Passkeys and Two-Step Verification
Passkeys:
WhatsApp now supports passkey authentication (only on supported devices). WhatsApp’s passkey feature lets you securely access your account using your fingerprint, face ID, or device PIN, replacing the need for a password.
To Enable:
Settings > Account > Passkeys
Link your biometric/PIN and device credentials
Two-Step Verification:
Add an extra layer of security.
How to Enable
Go to Settings > Account > Two-step verification
Set a 6-digit PIN and recovery email
✅ Protects your account from unauthorized access.
Final Thoughts
These basic WhatsApp settings can greatly improve your experience, privacy, and data usage. Whether you’re a regular user or a business owner, learning how to manage these options gives you more control over your app and communication.
Related Searches
How to hide photos from WhatsApp in gallery
How to enable custom tones for WhatsApp
WhatsApp disappearing messages vs delete for everyone
WhatsApp auto-download not working
Best privacy settings for WhatsApp
How to use WhatsApp dark mode
What is proxy in WhatsApp?
How to secure WhatsApp with passkey
WhatsApp business labels tutorial
FAQs:
1. How do I stop WhatsApp photos from showing in my phone’s gallery?
Go to Settings > Chats > Media visibility → Turn it off. You can also do this for individual chats by opening the chat → Tap contact name → Media visibility > No.
2. How can I set different notification tones for specific contacts?
Open the chat → Tap the contact name → Custom notifications → Enable → Choose your preferred tone, vibration, or popup.
3. What’s the difference between “Disappearing Messages” and “Delete for Everyone”?
Disappearing Messages: Messages vanish automatically after 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days.
Delete for Everyone: You must delete the message manually, and it only works within a limited time after sending.
4. How do I save mobile data on WhatsApp?
Go to Settings > Storage and data → Adjust auto-download for photos/videos → Set media upload quality to Data saver.
5. How can I use Dark Mode on WhatsApp?
Go to Settings > Chats > Theme → Select Dark.
6. What is WhatsApp Proxy and when should I use it?
A proxy helps you connect to WhatsApp if it’s blocked in your region. Enable it in Settings > Storage and Data > Proxy. Enter a working proxy address to stay connected.
7. How do I secure my WhatsApp account with Passkeys or Two-Step Verification?
Passkeys: Go to Settings > Account > Passkeys and link your biometric/PIN.
Two-Step Verification: Go to Settings > Account > Two-step verification → Set a 6-digit PIN and optional recovery email.
Keywords
WhatsApp basic settings guide
how to change WhatsApp privacy settings
media visibility on WhatsApp
WhatsApp auto-download settings
custom notifications WhatsApp
disappearing messages WhatsApp feature
WhatsApp storage and data usage
WhatsApp theme dark mode
passkey in WhatsApp
WhatsApp chat labels and lists
Tags: WhatsApp settings, WhatsApp basic settings, WhatsApp privacy, WhatsApp media visibility, disappearing messages WhatsApp, WhatsApp storage data, WhatsApp auto download, WhatsApp theme change, WhatsApp custom notifications, passkeys WhatsApp, WhatsApp chat labels, WhatsApp tips
.jpg)
%20(1).jpeg)
0 Comments