Setting Up WhatsApp for Older Parents
Helping a parent or grandparent with WhatsApp? The settings to switch on together, the contacts to save, and one simple rule that stops most scams aimed at older users.
WhatsApp keeps families close, especially across distances. Older parents are also targeted by scammers pretending to be their children, banks or officials. Twenty minutes together with their phone can make a big difference.
Settings to switch on together
- Two-step verification with a PIN you both store safely. See how.
- Silence unknown callers. See how.
- Groups: My contacts so strangers cannot add them. See stopping group adds.
- Profile photo and About: My contacts. See privacy settings.
- A screen lock on the phone. See phone screen lock.
Contacts to save
- Family members, clearly named, with their usual numbers.
- Their bank's official number, taken from their card.
- A trusted neighbour or friend.
One simple rule
"If anyone asks for money, a code or your details, even if it looks like me, call me first on my usual number." Write it on a card by the phone if it helps.
Talk through the common scams
- "This is my new number".
- Requests for a six-digit code.
- Emergency calls from "hospitals" and "police".
Agree a family code word, and see securing accounts for older relatives. For more, see how to protect your WhatsApp account.
Frequently asked questions
Should I know my parent's WhatsApp PIN?
It can help to store it somewhere safe that you both agree on, such as a sealed note at home or a shared password manager, so a forgotten PIN does not lock them out.
What is the single most useful habit?
Calling you or another trusted person before sending money, sharing a code, or clicking a link that asks for details.
How often should we check the settings?
When you visit every few months, and after any new phone.
Sources
- 5 Tips to keep your WhatsApp account safe and secure, WhatsApp Help Center
- About two-step verification, WhatsApp Help Center
- Scammers Use Fake Emergencies To Steal Your Money, US Federal Trade Commission
