WhatsApp now lets you hide your IP address, but there are a couple of catches
In a sea of messaging apps, WhatsApp remains one of the most widely used, its popularity buoyed by end-to-end encryption. Meta has now added a new feature aimed at "those who are particularly privacy-conscious".
There is a new option to protect your IP address by hiding it from other WhatsApp users during calls. This is important as IP addresses can reveal quite a lot, including location. While the new call relaying privacy measures are likely to be welcomed, there are a couple of significant caveats to keep in mind.
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The first thing to note is that any calls that are placed with IP protection enabled will be routed through WhatsApp's servers. While this is unlikely to be a serious problem, for anyone who has concerned about privacy at Meta, it might be an issue.
In a blog post about WhatsApp's various privacy and security features, including IP address protection, Meta explains:
With this feature enabled, all your calls will be relayed through WhatsApp's servers, ensuring that other parties in the call cannot see your IP address and subsequently deduce your general geographical location. This new feature provides an additional layer of privacy and security particularly geared towards our most privacy-conscious users. As always, your calls are end-to-end encrypted, so even if a call is relayed through WhatsApp servers, WhatsApp cannot listen to your calls.
But the use of Meta's servers is not the only catch. WhatsApp also points out that "when using call relaying, you might find the call quality is reduced".
If you've not been put off, you can enable IP protection using the following steps:
- Tap Settings, then Privacy
- Tap Advanced
- Turn Protect IP address in calls on or off
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