Calls on WhatsApp for Android are now more secure with this new update

In this post we are going to talk to you about the new update to enjoy safer WhatsApp calls for Android with IP protection. Meta continues to strengthen the security of its messaging app with features such as chat lock, using Passkey to log in or account verification with email. The most recent in this sense has to do with the IP address blocking to make calls from WhatsApp without taking risks. 

This new security feature will be especially useful for users who are most concerned about privacy during their WhatsApp calls. From the app settings it is possible to activate and deactivate IP blocking during calls whenever we want.. How does this update work on Android devices? Does it affect call quality? How can you activate it? We explain all this below.

Safer WhatsApp calls for Android with the new IP blocking feature

Recently, Meta announced on his official blog a new update to offer WhatsApp users an extra layer of security for their phone calls. The popular messaging app now allows you to not only silence calls from unknown numbers, but also hide IP address while making a call. With this feature, WhatsApp aims to instill more confidence in its users, especially those who are more aware of the risks involved in making calls.

According to Zuckerberg's company, most of the means used today to make calls 'have peer-to-peer connections between participants.' This modality allows data transfer to be faster, achieving higher quality communication. However, this also means that call participants are more exposed, posing a risk to their security and privacy. In what sense?

What is IP address and how does it work in a phone call?

To better understand the risks of making phone calls over the Internet, let's briefly talk about what is the IP address. He 'Internet Protocol', or Internet Protocol, is a unique identifier that is assigned to each device connected to the Internet. When you make a phone call over the Internet, the IP address of the sending and receiving device is used to establish the connection. This allows the call to be cheaper and of higher quality than a traditional call.

However, The IP address may also reveal personal or sensitive information about the user, such as their location, their Internet provider, their browsing history and their preferences.. In addition, the Internet Protocol can also be subject to cyber attacks, such as data theft, espionage, call hijacking or service blocking. That is why it is so important to protect the IP address when making phone calls over the Internet, something that WhatsApp allows you to do with its new update.

How to protect the IP address in a WhatsApp call

Aware of the dangers of making calls over the Internet, WhatsApp has introduced a new feature to protect the IP address during calls. When activated, the call is relayed through the app's servers, which prevents the sender and receiver in a call from seeing their respective IP addresses.

And WhatsApp? Will he be able to hear the calls now? No, well, as Meta explains, 'calls are end-to-end encrypted', which guarantees their privacy. Therefore, with this new security measure, WhatsApp users will have an extra level of privacy without compromising their security at any time.

If you are one of those users who are very concerned about their security and privacy and want to have safer WhatsApp calls for Android, you just have to do this to activate the new feature:

1. Open WhatsApp and press the menu three vertical dots.
2. From the dropdown menu, choose Settings.
3. Now select the option Privacy .
4. Scroll to the end and click on the option Advanced.
5. Finally, activate the toggle to the right of the new feature 'Protect the IP address on calls'.

With this extra security measure, It is now possible to choose between a direct or hidden connection when making calls from WhatsApp. The direct connection (which comes by default) is faster and has higher quality, but exposes our IP address. On the other hand, the new option allows you to hide the IP address when calling using the Meta app servers, but reduces the quality of the calls. How to get the most out of this update?

Safer WhatsApp calls for Android with IP protection

Clearly It is not necessary to keep this function activated all the time, but you can add this extra layer of security on certain occasions. For example, if you are going to call a person, establishment or company that you do not trust enough, it is advisable to activate IP protection. Just remember that enjoying this extra security measure comes at the price of a lower quality call.

On the other hand, when you call friends and family, or trusted people and establishments, it is not necessary to hide your IP. In conclusion, Everything will depend on how careful you are with the issue of security and privacy on the Internet.. In this sense, it is worth reviewing as a final point another WhatsApp function fresh out of the oven.

From the WhatsApp Privacy menu you can also activate the 'Silence calls from unknown numbers'. This feature is very useful to eliminate unwanted contact or calls from suspicious numbers. Once activated, you will only receive calls from registered contacts, although the notification of the rejected call will be recorded in the call history.

Finally, remember that both IP protection and the option to silence calls from unknown numbers It only applies to calls made within WhatsApp, not those you do from your mobile or through other applications. That said, you can start enjoying greater security and privacy with the features introduced by the most recent WhatsApp update.