WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows easy communication between friends, family, coworkers, and even businesses. However, one common issue many users face is receiving messages from unknown or unsaved numbers. While most of these may be harmless greetings or wrong numbers, some can be spam, phishing attempts, or scams. Thankfully, WhatsApp provides features to block and ignore messages from unsaved numbers easily.
In this article, we will explore steps to stop receiving messages from unsaved or unknown numbers on WhatsApp without blocking them completely. We will go over various methods like tweaking privacy settings, using the ‘Ignore’ feature, turning off read receipts and more. Follow the instructions carefully to take control of your inbox and stop bothersome messages.
Check Privacy Settings
The first step is to check your general privacy settings on WhatsApp related to who can contact you. WhatsApp allows users to control who can see personal information and send messages. Here are the two most relevant settings:
Everyone – All users can send you messages, even if not in your contacts. This is the default setting.
My Contacts – Only users you have saved in your contacts can send you messages. Unsaved numbers will not be able to reach you.
To change this setting:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the 3-dot menu in top right
- Go to Settings > Account > Privacy
- Tap on ‘Who can add me to groups’
- Select ‘My Contacts’ instead of ‘Everyone’
This will stop any random unsaved numbers from sending you messages. However, a drawback is that even your legitimate contacts won’t be able to message if you haven’t saved their numbers. So it depends on your preference between more control vs convenience.
Use the Ignore Feature
For more granular control, use the Ignore feature within WhatsApp’s block settings. It lets you ignore just specific unsaved numbers instead of limiting all unknown contacts.
To use it:
- Open the chat from the unsaved number you want to ignore
- Tap on the name/number at the top and select ‘More’
- Choose ‘Block [number]’
- On the next screen, tap ‘Ignore’ instead of block
This stops notifications and messages from that specific number. You won’t see their texts in the inbox or get bothered by them anymore. However, the number will still be able to send messages which will go into a separate spam style folder. You can check it occasionally and delete those messages.
An advantage over full blocking is that the number won’t know you ignored them. The ‘unread’ status remains on their end so they don’t try contacting you from a different number.
Disable Read Receipts
Read receipts show when you have opened a message sent by someone. Having them on allows even unsaved numbers to see when you’ve read their texts, encouraging more spam.
Turning off read receipts prevents this issue. To disable:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy
- Tap on ‘Read Receipts’ and disable the toggle
This makes it appear like you haven’t seen the messages from an unknown number. They are less likely to continue messaging if they think you are ignoring them.
A drawback is that senders who have genuinely texted you by mistake won’t know if you saw their apology or clarification messages. But you can choose to occasionally turn read receipts back on for select conversations only.
Set Profile Photo to Private
Having your WhatsApp profile photo visible to everyone allows unknown numbers to see your picture before messaging you. This raises privacy concerns and can lead to more unsolicited texts from random people.
You can avoid this by tweaking your profile photo privacy:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy
- Tap on ‘Profile Photo’ and select ‘My Contacts’ or specific contacts instead of ‘Everyone’
This ensures only people in your contacts list can see your profile photo. Others will see a default placeholder image when starting a chat.
Turn Off ‘Tap to View’ Media
The ‘Tap to View’ setting automatically downloads media (photos/videos) sent to you by unsaved numbers. Turning it off prevents unknown senders from sending you unauthorized media files without consent.
To disable it:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Data Usage
- Disable the ‘Tap to view media’ option
This adds a layer of protection against spam, malicious links, and adult content sent by random numbers. You can choose to download media only from known contacts.
Be Careful of Verification Codes
Beware of any verification code WhatsApp messages from unknown numbers. These 6-digit codes can be attempts to hack your account and impersonate you.
Here’s what to do if you get an unsolicited WhatsApp verification message:
- Don’t share the code with the unknown number
- Change your WhatsApp password immediately to protect your account
- Turn on Two-Step Verification for added security
- Block the number to prevent further texts
Enable account protection to avoid getting your messages compromised by spam senders. Never share your private verification codes with such numbers.
Set Trusted Contacts
WhatsApp allows you to set up trusted contacts to help recover account access in case you ever lose your phone or get locked out. This can prevent unknown numbers from trying to take over your account if they get hold of your verification code.
To enable this:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Two-step verification > Set up trusted contacts
- Add at least one trusted contact you can reach out to for verification assistance
Having trusted contacts set up makes it much harder for random spammers to break into your account and impersonate you. Reach out to these contacts for help with verification if you need to recover your account.
Limit Who Can See ‘Last Seen’
Your WhatsApp ‘Last Seen’ shows the latest time you were active on the app. Having it visible to everyone allows any unknown number to see when you’ve read their messages based on your last seen time.
Restricting this prevents misuse by random numbers to gauge if you’ve seen their texts and when. To change the setting:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy
- Tap on ‘Last Seen’ and select ‘My Contacts’ or specific contacts instead of ‘Everyone’
This hides your activity from unsaved numbers so they can’t determine if you’ve read their messages. It also improves general privacy protection.
Disable Chat Previews in Notifications
Your message notifications by default show a preview of the latest chat texts received. For unknown numbers, this gives away your personal information without opening the message itself.
To turn off previews:
- Go to your device Settings > Notifications > WhatsApp
- Disable ‘Show Preview’ option
This shows generic notifications from unsaved numbers instead of chat snippets. You avoid accidentally revealing personal data before deciding to block the sender.
Conclusion
Receiving unwanted messages from unknown numbers is a common irritation faced by many WhatsApp users. Thankfully, tools like ignore, blocking, disabling read receipts and media auto-download provide effective ways to stop this nuisance. Tweaking your privacy settings restricts what unsaved contacts can access about you.
With these steps, you can take control of your WhatsApp notifications and make the messaging experience more secure. Ignore or block pesky numbers as needed, but leverage the app’s more advanced options for controlling spam proactively. Pay attention to verification codes or account recovery attempts from random numbers too.
Use the app more safely and avoid unwelcome outreach with these handy privacy techniques. Feel free to customize the settings to find your optimal balance of convenience and control when communicating with both saved and unsaved contacts.