WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, recently released new versions of their desktop apps. Now they are just a click away from accessing their accounts right from their macOS, Windows and Linux machines. This implementation accompanies many security improvements. Since then, users have been empowered to view and quickly disconnect any active sessions. With the new Session Management feature, you can see a complete picture of where you are currently logged into the app. You can even end any active sessions you don’t want, which gives you a more secure and convenient option for account management.
WhatsApp’s new privacy update puts users in control. So what’s new and how can you use it to your advantage?
Getting Started
This feature is available on both iOS and Android devices. Start with this basic stuff. Open the app and click on the profile icon. Next, click on the settings (gear) icon to navigate to your “Session Management.” Here, they can see all their sessions that are active and keep track of them. This feature is just the latest addition to WhatsApp’s commitment to keeping user accounts safe from hackers.
New Desktop Apps for Enhanced Accessibility
To make it easier to use, WhatsApp has released standalone desktop apps for macOS, Windows, and Linux to make the app more productive. This provides flexibility for users in accessing their accounts without being overly dependent on mobile devices. With the launch of these apps, WhatsApp is doubling down on its mission to deliver powerful, flexible communication tools to its more than 2 billion users.
Desktop applications provide a consistent, integrated experience as good as their mobile app. This design will provide the best environment for users to communicate seamlessly across all of their devices. WhatsApp understands that there is a strong demand for a desktop option. They’ve shifted to enable office workers and knowledge workers that want to work from their computers.
The desktop apps retain the desktop version’s most powerful features. Now, with their commitment to end-to-end encryption, users can have confidence that their messages are private and secure regardless of the platform they use.
Managing Sessions with Ease
WhatsApp’s Session Management feature is a major step forward in protecting accounts. Open the app’s main settings menu to find a complete list of every session you’ve registered for. For example, what devices are people using and where are they using them. This unprecedented level of transparency ensures users are in control of their account activity.
Registered users can click on any individual session to find additional information about it. They can drill down into data such as the device make, model, serial number, and OS version. Having this information makes it easier for users to identify whether the session is valid or suspicious and may even be unauthorized. If a session ever seems suspicious, users can simply hit “End” to end a session right away.
The “Log Out All Known Devices” feature is a valuable new security tool. This allows users to quickly log out of all sessions, protecting their account in the event someone logs in without permission.
“View that device’s information, such as the device model, serial number and operating system version.” – Apple
Automatic Session Logout for Added Security
Along with manual session management, WhatsApp introduced an automatic logout feature. Users can choose from a variety of automatic session close time frames. Your options are one week, one month, three months or six months as a default setting. This gives the TNC an opportunity to take a proactive approach to ensuring long-forgotten sessions don’t stay live forever.
This feature is similar to end-to-end encrypted messaging platforms such as Telegram, which include automatic session termination functionalities. With the adoption of this feature, WhatsApp takes its security measures a step further, allowing users to rest easy knowing their accounts are secure.
"If we see anything unusual about a login to your account, we’ll ask you to complete extra steps to confirm it’s really you." – Facebook