You Can Now Hide Your IP Address During WhatsApp Calls
Even though WhatsApp is owned by the data-hungry company Meta, it is known for its secure messaging. This is because the app has long offered end-to-end encryption for both text messages and calls, so no one other than the parties involved can access chat content.
But although your WhatsApp calls are encrypted, they are not completely private. It turns out that your IP address is revealed every time you make a call. If you want maximum privacy when using WhatsApp to chat, a new feature can help.
New IP Meta protection feature for WhatsApp
As Meta explains in the announcement of this feature , most calling platforms rely on peer-to-peer systems that reveal IP addresses between contacts. This sacrifice of privacy is one of the reasons why most chat apps make calls quickly and efficiently, and for many users it may be a worthwhile trade-off.
However, many people consciously make this compromise. How many WhatsApp users think about revealing their IP address when calling friends and family? I know I never think about this when I make calls on other apps.
To be fair, an IP address won’t reveal all of your personal information, but it will reveal quite a bit, including your general geographic location (city, state, or zip code) and possibly your Internet service provider.
WhatsApp now has a solution: Instead of making peer-to-peer calls, WhatsApp will route calls through its servers, which will hide your IP address (and location) from your callers. This is a great privacy step, especially if you’re not sure you can fully trust the other end of the call, but it comes at the cost of call quality. If you prefer your phone calls to be as clear as possible, you may want to use this feature sparingly.
How to Hide Your IP Address During WhatsApp Calls
If you decide that privacy is more important than the quality of your WhatsApp calls, you can easily enable IP protection at any time. Open the app, go to Settings , then Privacy > Advanced . Now enable IP Calling Protection . You can return to this page and disable this feature if you also want to improve your overall call quality.