That there are alternatives to WhatsApp that stand out for their security, such as Signal has its explanation: WhatsApp, despite being the most used messaging app in the world, is not infallible, and there will always be someone capable of taking advantage of the existing gaps in the application to carry out techniques that allow you to spy on other people’s conversations or hack WhatsApp accounts effectively. Something that everyone often asks is whether WhatsApp can be hacked remotely.
And it is that, although it is no longer as simple as it was in the past, spying on WhatsApp conversations is possible. In addition, although it may surprise us, it is totally free and effective.
Without a doubt, it is something that you should take into account when using the app to prevent third parties from accessing the information you share through your chats. Therefore, in this guide, we review all how they could be spying on your WhatsApp conversations so that it is easier to avoid these types of situations.
Contents index :
- How to spy on WhatsApp for free
- Spy using WhatsApp Web
- Spy using WhatsApp backups
- Hack WhatsApp using paid apps
- Spy using spyware
- How to prevent spying on your WhatsApp
- Helpful tips to prevent them from spying on your conversations
How to spy on WhatsApp for free
As I said at the beginning, spying on WhatsApp is no longer as easy as before. Until the application introduced end-to-end encryption in its chats, anyone connected to our Wi-Fi network, with the necessary tools, could access the content of our sent and received messages simply by analyzing the traffic of the network in question. Fortunately, this method no longer works, and attackers must seek other more complex avenues when trying to capture the messages of their victims.
That said, it is necessary to mention that no solution allows you to avoid all kinds of espionage techniques through WhatsApp, although maintaining a good level of security in our account can help a lot. Therefore, we recommend you take a look at our WhatsApp security guide.
On the other hand, it is worth mentioning – although it should be obvious – that spying on WhatsApp conversations is completely illegal. In fact, it is a crime classified in Article 197 of the Penal Code, which refers to the discovery and disclosure of secrets, and which carries prison sentences of 1 to 4 years and a fine of 1 to two years. In addition, the penalties are tougher when the acts have been committed by the spouse or by a person who has maintained an effective relationship with the victim even though there has been no coexistence.
Taking into account all the above, now, we go on to see all how they can spy on your WhatsApp:
Spy on WhatsApp using WhatsApp Web
It would not be the first time that WhatsApp Web has been at the center of controversy due to security breaches that allow attackers to access the content of chats or even introduce malware into the computers of their victims.
But beyond the vulnerabilities that it could have, the simple fact of working through the browser associated with a WhatsApp account makes WhatsApp Web one of the most used ways to spy on WhatsApp chats. And it is enough to log in to WhatsApp on a computer, to access all conversations, both current and previous, with all your shared messages and files.
In addition to that, WhatsApp only sends a notification to the mobile when the login is made for the first time, so that if the person who wants to spy on us deletes that notification, we will not know if someone is reading our messages through the web version of the messaging app.
How to avoid it: to avoid spying on your WhatsApp through the web version, access the “WhatsApp Web” section of the application on your mobile, and check which devices you have logged into. If you see a suspicious computer, you can tap on it to log out and remove access to your messages.
Spy on WhatsApp using WhatsApp backups
Although it is not as simple a technique as WhatsApp Web, as explained in AdslZone, it is also possible to spy on WhatsApp conversations through the backup copies that the app creates of our conversations. There are tools and specific software that allow decrypting backup packages and thus accessing their content.
How to avoid it: For some years now, WhatsApp backups have been stored in Google Drive. This adds an extra layer of security. In addition, to access the copies, the attacker would need to have the login code that WhatsApp sends by SMS when logging into a new device. That is why it is important to ignore the messages that ask us for this type of verification code.
Hack WhatsApp using paid apps
Unfortunately, over the years, more and more tools designed to spy on WhatsApp conversations have emerged. Although some are justified on the premise of being parental control applications that allow parents and guardians to know who their children are talking to, the reality is that, in most cases, they are used for other purposes.
Most WhatsApp spy apps are paid, and they are not exactly cheap.
Spy using spyware
This type of spy application has progressed to be more and more complex so that they do not even need superuser or root permissions to carry out their function.
Some even offer full access to the device’s content, including call logs, chats, group chats, and multimedia files through WhatsApp.
However, it is also necessary to mention that a good number of these tools not only do not fulfill their function but can also pose a risk to those who use them.
In fact, it would not be the first time that the State Security Forces have reported scams disguised as this type of software.
We must also remember, once again, that the use of these types of applications to spy on WhatsApp is illegal.
How to prevent spying on your WhatsApp
As you can see, there are several ways in which they can spy on your WhatsApp conversations remotely and without you even knowing about it.
Luckily, there are ways to prevent other people from hacking into your account to read your messages.
Helpful tips to prevent them from spying on your conversations
First, you should frequently review the list of apps installed on your mobile to rule out suspicious or unknown applications.
If, in addition, you suspect that they may be spying on your conversations, checking if your mobile is running slower or consuming more battery than usual may be clues that something is wrong – it may be that a background process is running to give access to the attacker to all the content of your device.
In any case, formatting your mobile can be the most effective solution to these types of situations.
Sharlene Meriel is an avid gamer with a knack for technology. He has been writing about the latest technologies for the past 5 years. His contribution in technology journalism has been noteworthy. He is also a day trader with interest in the Forex market.
