How to tell if whatsapp has been hacked

How to Check If Someone Else Is Accessing Your WhatsApp Account [2022]

Whatsapp is a popular and one of the most downloaded messaging applications. The users in this platform continue to increase and with more users, that means they have to tighten their security.

Whatsapp already has a few additional security measures that they have put in place to prevent other individuals from accessing your account such as the Two-Factor authentication feature that they have.

Despite Whatsapp’s attempt at securing our privacy, there are still individuals out there who try to do their best to be able to access other people’s Whatsapp accounts. There are multiple reasons as to why they do this but we want to help you find out the telltales or signs to check if someone else can access your account.

Part 1: Signs Your Account is Compromised

Part 1: Signs Your Account is Compromised

If you notice any weird activities or behaviors in your Whatsapp account, then you will have a suspicion that someone else can access your Whatsapp account. We will share with you some telltale signs that your account has been compromised or that someone else can access your account.

• Sign# 1: Your friends have told you that they received spam or phishing links from your Whatsapp account. Hackers who have access to other people’s Whatsapp accounts tend to send a lot of spam to that user’s contact lists.
• Sign# 2: You received random messages from contacts that you did not add yourself. Hackers will sometimes add other contacts using your Whatsapp account and if you receive any messages from a contact you are unaware of, someone else may be accessing your Whatsapp account.
• Sign# 3: Your contact information was changed. While looking through your profile, you noticed that there were some changes to your account details. For example, they could have changed your display photo, your name, or your status.

Part 2: How to Tell If Someone Else Is Using Your WhatsApp Account?

Now that you have your suspicion that someone has hacked into your Whatsapp account, you can try the numerous tips that we will share below to double-check whether your account has been accessed by someone else.

Tip# 1: Check your contacts for any new friends

A sign that your account could have been accessed by someone else is that there are new friends added to your contact list that you do not know of. You can go to your contacts and check to see who are the ones you did not add or is unheard of. If there are any new friends that you did not add yourself, then there is a possibility that someone else has access to your Whatsapp account.

Tip# 2: Check your chat messages

Check your recent chat messages and see if there are any messages that you do not remember sending yourself. By checking this, you will be able to know if someone else is trying to send any messages to your contacts without your knowledge.

Tip# 3: Check your Whatsapp Web

If you have already checked your contacts and messages but still suspect that someone else is able to access your Whatsapp account, you can try to see if the hacker is using your Whatsapp Web. Follow the steps below to check your Whatsapp Web:

• Step 1: Go to “Settings” which is located as three dots on the upper right of the screen.  
• Step 2: Then, select “Whatsapp Web” from the options. If your camera opens, it means that no one has access to your Whatsapp Web and it will ask you the scan the QR code that is generated from the Whatsapp Web on your computer.
• Step 3: Scan the QR code that is generated in your browser and you should be able to log in to WhatsApp on WhatsApp Web.

Tip# 4: Check your contact information

Another way to check whether you have been hacked is to check if they have updated your profile information. You can check this by going to “Settings” and selecting “Profile”. From there, you can review and check the accuracy of the information for your Whatsapp account.

Part 3: How to Secure Your WhatsApp Account?

Now that you have checked your Whatsapp account using the tips we shared. There are only two possibilities after your investigation. First would be that your Whatsapp account has been hacked and try to change your password immediately as soon as you find out. However, the other possibility is that no one can access to your account and during this time, you can still have additional security for your Whatsapp account to prevent someone else from accessing it by enabling a Two-Factor Authentication. Here are the steps to enable this additional security.

• Step 1: Open Whatsapp and go to the “Settings”.
• Step 2: Then, you can tap on “Account”.
• Step 3: After, choose “Two-step Verification” and make sure that you tap on “Enabled”. 
• Step 4: They will then ask you to type a 6-Digit PIN code and then, you can tap on “Next”.

Once you finished setting up the Two-Factor Authentication, you will then be asked to type the 6-Digit PIN code every time you open your Whatsapp. This will give you more security and feel more at ease that no one can access your account aside from yourself

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Conclusion

We hope that all of these tips have been very helpful in checking whether your Whatsapp account has been compromised. Make sure to also enable the Two-Factor Authentication for additional security of your account.

Recommended reading: Samsung vs. Apple iPhone: Which Phones Are More Secure and Why?

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How to Check if Someone Else is Using Your WhatsApp Account

Like many other online applications, WhatsApp does its best to keep its users’ data private and secure. The platform is relatively safe with features such as one login at a time and two-factor authentication.

But, like anything connected to the internet, there are security vulnerabilities that nefarious individuals are all too happy to explore. Due to the nature of WhatsApp, it’s essential to act fast if you think your account got breached.

This article will teach you how to spot suspicious activity on WhatsApp and teach you how to secure your account. Let’s dive in!

1. Sign in to Your WhatsApp Account

To better understand how WhatsApp security works, we’ll first walk you through logging into your account. WhatsApp provides two ways to access; online and via iOS WhatsApp Messenger or the Android WhatsApp app.

Using WhatsApp’s web version makes it a lot easier to type, as you can do it on a keyboard rather than tapping on your phone screen. However, you have to start with your mobile device.

1. Open a WhatsApp Web session on your tablet or phone by tapping the vertical ellipsis (three vertical dots) menu icon in the main WhatsApp window.
   
2. Select WhatsApp Web. This opens your camera to use on the next step.
   
3. You will be directed to scan a QR code, which you can get by opening WhatsApp Web in your browser.
   
4. Open WhatsApp Web using a browser on your PC.
   
5. Scan the QR code in the browser window using your device’s camera.
   

You can now type messages using your PC’s keyboard, and your WhatsApp window on your phone should match what you see in the browser, allowing you to chat and interact as usual.

2. Check if Someone is Using Your WhatsApp Account

WhatsApp is relatively easy to use. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to spot an interloper if they aren’t interacting with the application. This scenario would most likely be someone who only wants to eavesdrop on your conversations, but some hackers also want to take over your account.

Regardless of their intentions, we will use this section to educate you on some warning signs that someone is in your account.

1. Check Your WhatsApp Activity. When you open WhatsApp, you’ll first see a list of messages. Review this list for any messages you didn’t send or received from people you don’t know.
   
2. Check your contact information. If the interloper tries to hijack your account, they’ll start changing your contact information. On mobile, tap on the vertical ellipsis (three vertical dots) in the upper right-hand corner.
   
3. Tap Settings.
   
4. Select your profile at the top of the menu.
   
5. Review the information and verify that it is accurate and up-to-date.
   
6. If anything changed, or there is information that you do not recognize, you’ll need to secure your account. Follow the steps in the next section on using two-step verification.
   
7. Check for Messages from WhatsApp. Search your messages by typing WhatsApp in the search bar at the top on iPhone or using the magnifying glass on Android. Look for messages about account changes or access.
   
8. Check for New Friends. Review your contacts on WhatsApp by opening the app and tapping on the Chat icon in the lower right-hand corner. Confirm that no new, unknown friends have appeared on the list.
   
9. Check the latest chat sessions. View the last session or any open session by tapping the vertical ellipsis (three vertical dots) menu icon.
   
10. Select Linked devices.
    
11. Review the Last active… list for any unknown devices.
    
12. If you find an unknown device, tap it and select Log Out.
    

Unlike other services, the steps above are the only way to see your WhatsApp login activity.

Securing Your WhatsApp Account

If you find that someone else is using your account, it’s time to secure it. Keep in mind that if any of the situations mentioned above are present, you’ll need to act quickly.

How to Enable Two-Factor Authentication in WhatsApp

If someone has been using your WhatsApp account, you need to lock it down. If you’re lucky, it’s a sibling or partner spying on what you’re doing. If you’re not so fortunate, it could be a hacker stealing your contacts and data and wreaking havoc with your social life. Either way, you need to lock it down by turning on two-factor authentication.

WhatsApp doesn’t use passwords. Instead, you need to enable two-factor authentication. That way, anyone trying to log in must enter a  verification code.

1. Open WhatsApp and select the vertical ellipsis (three vertical dots) menu icon from the main window.
   
2. Select Settings and then Account.
   
3. Choose Two-step verification, then tap on Enable.
   
4. Type a 6-digit PIN code, then tap on Next.
   

Once set, you need to enter that PIN code to authenticate every time you open WhatsApp. Make sure the PIN isn’t something obvious that others could choose. After completing the above steps, you have secured your WhatsApp account even further.

WhatsApp is a very secure app but is only as safe as you keep it. Using two-factor authentication is a viable way to lock down your account if someone has been accessing it.

WhatsApp Hacked FAQs

What can I do if I’ve lost access to my WhatsApp account?

Chances are that a hacker has taken over your account. When this happens, you can’t log in, and all of your account information is in the hands of the hacker. Getting your account back can be complicated. Fortunately, you can still reclaim your WhatsApp account.

I received a text verification code from WhatsApp. Does that mean someone is using my account?

One of the more notorious ways someone can gain access to your WhatsApp account is by obtaining the text verification code. If WhatsApp sends you a text verification code that you didn’t envoke, it’s best to ignore it.

You may even receive multiple codes back to back. However, WhatsApp will only send so many verification codes within a specific period. Afterward, the app will lock you out if you log out.

5 signs that someone is reading your Whatsapp conversation and remains invisible