WhatsApp 'status' gets a dangerous update: Here's how to keep your data safe

Care about your private WhatsApp chat or messages? While the Facebook-owned app promises that all messages are end-to-end encrypted and can be read only by the sender and the receiver, it is reported now that WhatsApp has been quietly storing your messages in an unencrypted archive where hackers could read them. 

WhatsApp keeps an archive of everything shared by Android owners on the Google Drive cloud storage system. The chat app has now admitted that the messages and media stored on Google drive are not end-to-end encrypted. 

"Media and messages you back up aren't protected by WhatsApp end-to-end encryption while in Google Drive," WhatsApp writes on its official website, raising fears that hackers, police and even spies can easily access a user's private data by gaining access to their Google Drive account. 

The message from WhatsApp comes after the Facebook-owned app announced on August 16 that it has signed a pact with Google to allow users to store their content on the Google Drive, without any quota from November 12. 

In past also, WhatsApp had clarified that users data on the Drive was not encrypted. 

What to do?

Firstly, WhatsApp users have the option of not storing their data on Google Drive. Secondly, If you think, your Google account can be compromised, you can opt out of saving data there and even delete your personal data on the Drive. You can do the latter by following the steps mentioned below:. 

- Go to the Google Drive website and log in to your Google account.
- If you're accessing the Google Drive website from your phone, you'll have to tap the Menu icon in the top left corner and then tap Desktop Version.
- Click the Gear icon in the top right corner > Settings > Manage Apps.
- Scroll until you find WhatsApp in the list. Please note it might take several minutes for WhatsApp to appear.
- After you find WhatsApp in the list, wait until “Hidden app data” size comes up. This might also take several minutes.
- Click OPTIONS > Delete hidden app data > DELETE.