The WhatsApp privacy settings UK parents should switch on first: last seen, profile photo, group invites, disappearing messages and two-step verification.
WhatsApp's privacy is mostly about who can see your child and who can add them to groups. Strangers cannot send the first message unless they have the phone number, but they can pull a child into a group, which is the main everyday risk to manage.
The steps below take about three minutes on the child's phone.
Settings → Privacy → Last Seen and Online → My Contacts. Online → Same as Last Seen.
Settings → Privacy → Profile Photo, About, Status → My Contacts (or Nobody). Tip: Stops strangers verifying a stolen phone number against a face.
Settings → Privacy → Groups → My Contacts Except… and add the people you do not want adding them. Tip: Most stranger contact on WhatsApp starts with a group add.
Settings → Privacy → Read Receipts → Off (optional). Tip: Optional, but it removes pressure to reply instantly.
Settings → Privacy → Default message timer → 7 days. Tip: Reduces the amount of personal chat history sitting on the phone.
Settings → Account → Two-step verification → Enable → set a 6-digit PIN and recovery email. Tip: Stops account takeover via SIM-swap or stolen SMS.
Settings → Storage and Data → Media auto-download → set Photos/Videos to Wi-Fi only and Documents to Never.
This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.