How to block spam messages on WhatsApp
The spammers. The scammers. And you. Telemarketers and junk mail has evolved in the digital age to a behemoth of persistent trickery. In Scammed, we help you navigate a connected world that’s out for your money, your information, or just your attention.
Pretty much every medium we use to communicate will be vulnerable to spam at some point or another. Texts, emails, social media, and messaging apps. Yep, even WhatsApp.
Spam messages, beyond being super freaking annoying, are potentially harmful in that spammers often try to get you to divulge your personal information, or click on dangerous links. It's challenging to find ways to protect yourself from spam completely, but here are some things you can do to prevent and block spam on WhatsApp.
Block or report a contact
Go to the message thread that contains the spam message (be careful not to click on any links within the message).
Tap on the contact at the very top of the page.
Tap "Block Contact" at the bottom (to block) and "Report Contact" (to report).
Then tap "Block" again (or "Report" again) when prompted. You can also just tap "Report Contact" and you'll have the option to do both at once by tapping "Report and Block."
Adjust your WhatsApp privacy settings
Navigate to your WhatsApp settings.
Tap "Account."
Tap "Privacy" at the top.
In your privacy settings, you can control who can see your online status, profile photo, "Last Seen," and your "About" section, as well as who can add you to groups.
Edit these settings to your liking by tapping each one and choosing either "Everyone," "My Contacts," or "Nobody" — "Nobody" obviously gives you the most privacy while "Everyone" gives you the least.
We know it can sometimes be hard to tell if a message is spam or not. Sometimes it's obvious, but other times the message can look totally authentic, which of course, is by design. WhatsApp offers some helpful information about what spam messages can look like and how to spot them. You can find that info by going to the "spam and unwanted messages" section of the WhatsApp Help Center.
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Andy is a fellow on Mashable's Culture team. He graduated with a B.S. from the University of North Florida in 2018 and moved to New York to pursue journalism in culture and entertainment. He can (and will) talk for too long about Star Wars and movies in general. His fear of stinging insects and 80+ degree weather will keep him inside forever. He wishes he were shorter.
