Disable link previews in Whatsapp chats

When you share a link to a web page in a Whatsapp chat – be it a news story, social-media post or a product in an online store – the app automatically generates a preview of the content. This is useful for showing people where the link will take them before they open it, but there are also some drawbacks to displaying previews.

Not only do their images and text summaries make your conversations look more cluttered, but they also mean anyone glancing at your phone can see the content you’re sharing in your chats. There’s also a risk that link previews could compromise your privacy by revealing your IP address – and therefore location – to the sites you’re sharing content from, allowing them to track your online activities.

To address these concerns, Whatsapp has introduced the option to disable link previews in chats. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the topright corner of the app and choose Settings, then Privacy. Swipe down to the bottom of the screen, select Advanced and switch on ‘Disable link previews’ (see screenshot below left). If you don’t see this option, Whatsapp hasn’t yet rolled it out to your phone.

Note that previews will only be disabled for links you share in chats – they may still be generated when other people share content with you. However, Whatsapp says “receiving link previews has no impact on your IP address” (www.snipca. com/50093).