WhatsApp users would be wise to follow new advice and make a quick change to their settings.
Dave Snelling Technology Editor
06:30, 05 Feb 2026Updated 18:45, 05 Feb 2026
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WhatsApp update(Image: GETTY)
WhatsApp users might be wise to follow the latest advice and make a quick settings change. The popular app was recently thrust into the spotlight after a flaw was discovered that could allow hackers to access personal data by sending files directly to phones. The issue, which was first highlighted by Google’s Project Zero team, stems from the automatic download function, which instantly saves media to devices.
Cyber crooks are believed to have been setting up fake group chats and then inviting unsuspecting users to join. If someone accepts the invitation, the infected files are downloaded without them ever realising anything is wrong.
It’s unclear how many people may have been affected, but it’s clearly a worrying development for the billions that use this chat app every single day.
Having been made aware of the bug, WhatsApp recently pushed out a fix which should help to block new infections. However, it still highlights the problem of allowing automatic downloads onto devices
For peace of mind, it’s now a good idea to make some quick changes and make sure you are running the latest version of WhatsApp on your device.
One of the best pieces of advice – via the team at Malwarebytes – is to head to the settings and disable Automatic Downloads or enable WhatsApp’s Advanced Privacy Mode. This means no media will be automatically downloaded to your phone in the future.
To turn off downloads, simply open WhatsApp on your Android device and then tap the three‑dot menu in the top‑right corner. You should then see the option for Settings.
From here head to Storage and data and under Media auto-download, you will see When using mobile data, when connected on Wi‑Fi. and when roaming.
For each of these three entries, tap it and uncheck all media types: Photos, Audio, Videos, Documents. Then tap OK.
Confirm that each category now shows something like “No media” under it.
Malwarebytes also says it’s a good idea to lock down who can add you to groups as the new attack chain requires the attacker to add you and one of your contacts to a new group. Reducing who can do that lowers risk.
In Settings, tap Privacy, then tap Groups.
Change from Everyone to My contacts or ideally My contacts except… and exclude any numbers you do not fully trust.
If you use WhatsApp for work, consider keeping group membership strictly to known contacts and approved admins.
