Danger on WhatsApp: Be careful while sending photos in original quality

WhatsApp is an application that not only serves to chat with our contacts, but it is also used to share what we do every day, photos of our work or studies. However, sending photos in original quality without knowing can be a problem for our privacy.

This is not a direct problem with Meta AppRather it has more to do with the internal data that an image stores when it is taken with a cell phone and that is retained despite sharing it with other people.

WhatsApp included the function of sending pictures hd quality In 2023, Which is a great tool for those who need to preserve high resolution photos to send or share on social networks.

However, some users continue to use a method that allows sharing photos in original quality. This method involves sending images as documents, avoiding compression performed by the application to optimize data usage., But there’s a high price to pay: privacy.

When you send a photo as a document, the metadata associated with it is shared, including EXIF ​​tags, which store detailed information such as device model, camera settings, date and, most dangerously, Stores the geographic coordinates of where the photo was. taken. Photo.

This is the real risk behind this shipping method. For example, if we take a photo of our pet to a person we are meeting and decide to send it as a document, that contact will be able to access the details of the image and know where our home is. Is.

The second case is that a photographer chooses this method to share professional photos. You may be inadvertently exposing personal or customer information, which can be a risk in some cases.

The sender can view all this data from his computer or phone. Open the image itself from an application like Google Files or Mobile Gallery. The coordinates shown in the metadata are then searched for in the map and the exact location where the photo was taken will appear.

Given this risk, which may go unnoticed, it is important that users take measures to protect their privacy. The solution lies in the phone’s camera settings.

So we present step by step to disable location information in photos shared via WhatsApp:

1. Access device settings.

2. Find the Applications section.

3. Enter system application settings.

4. Select Camera options.

5. Within the camera settings, look for the option to activate and deactivate the Save Location Information function.

By disabling this feature, photos you share will not include geographic coordinates, keeping the location hidden. However, those who want to continue to enjoy the benefits that location information provides, such as personalized recommendations in applications like Google Maps, may choose to keep it active given the risks.

Additionally, it is important to know to whom we send the images as a file or document. If we want to maintain the quality of photography we can choose the HD option that WhatsApp has recently added.

Although the resolution will not be the same as the original, it is enough if the photo we want to send will not be edited, will not be published on social networks and only family or friends will see it. This way we will not share personal data such as location.