How to Adjust Viber Privacy Settings

In an era where digital privacy is paramount, securing your messaging apps is essential. Viber, a leading communication platform with over 1 billion users worldwide, offers robust privacy features to protect your data and conversations. Adjusting Viber’s privacy settings allows users to control who can contact them, view their information, and access their chats. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to adjust Viber privacy settings, covering step-by-step instructions, practical applications, advantages, and troubleshooting tips. Whether you’re a casual user, professional, or privacy advocate, this guide will help you optimize your Viber experience for security and personalization.

Why Viber Privacy Settings Matter

Viber’s privacy settings empower users to safeguard their personal information and communications. With features like end-to-end encryption (E2EE), hidden chats, and two-step verification, Viber ensures your messages, calls, and data remain secure. However, default settings may not suit everyone’s needs. Customizing these settings allows you to:

• Protect Personal Data: Limit who can see your online status, profile photo, or last seen timestamp.
• Control Interactions: Decide who can add you to group chats or send message requests.
• Enhance Security: Enable features like app locks or self-destructing messages for sensitive conversations.

In 2025, privacy trends emphasize user control and transparency, driven by regulations like GDPR and rising cyber threats. Viber’s privacy tools align with these trends, offering flexibility without compromising usability. For a deeper understanding of Viber’s security foundation, explore how Viber’s message encryption works, which details its end-to-end encryption protocol.

Step-by-Step Guide to Adjusting Viber Privacy Settings

Viber’s privacy settings are accessible and user-friendly, available on both mobile and desktop platforms. Below are detailed steps to customize key privacy features, based on the latest 2025 Viber version.

Step 1: Accessing Privacy Settings

To begin, open Viber and navigate to the privacy settings menu:

1. Open Viber: Launch the Viber app on your mobile device (iOS, Android, or Huawei) or desktop.
2. Go to Settings: Tap the “More” tab (bottom-right on mobile) or click your profile picture (desktop).
3. Select Privacy: Tap or click “Privacy” to access the privacy options.

This menu includes settings for personal data, visibility, and security features. Ensure you’re using the latest Viber version, downloadable from the official Viber website.

Step 2: Controlling Visibility Settings

Visibility settings determine what information others can see about you.

• Online Status: By default, Viber shows when you’re online. To hide this:
  • Go to Privacy > Toggle off “Share ‘Online’ Status.”
  • This prevents contacts from knowing when you’re active, reducing unwanted messages.
• Seen Status: This shows when you’ve read a message. To disable:
  • Go to Privacy > Toggle off “Send ‘Seen’ Status.”
  • Useful for avoiding pressure to respond immediately.
• Profile Photo: Control who sees your profile picture:
  • Go to Privacy > “Profile Photo” > Select “My Contacts” or “Nobody.”
  • This protects your identity from unknown users.

Disabling these settings enhances privacy but may limit social features, like knowing when contacts are online.

Step 3: Managing Contact and Group Permissions

Viber allows you to control who can interact with you:

• Block Contacts: To block unwanted users:
  • Go to Privacy > “Blocked Contacts” > Add a contact to block.
  • Blocked users cannot call, message, or add you to groups.
• Group Chat Permissions: Prevent strangers from adding you to groups:
  • Go to Privacy > “Control Who Can Add You to Groups” > Select “My Contacts Only.”
  • This reduces spam from unsolicited group invites.
• Message Requests: Filter messages from unknown numbers:
  • Go to Privacy > Enable “Message Requests” to review messages before accepting.

These settings are ideal for professionals or users in high-risk environments, like journalists, who need strict control over communications.

Step 4: Enabling Two-Step Verification

Two-step verification (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your Viber account:

1. Go to Privacy > “Two-Step Verification.”
2. Enable the feature and set a 6-digit PIN.
3. Link an email address for recovery in case you forget the PIN.

2FA ensures that even if someone accesses your phone number, they cannot log into your account without the PIN. According to Mozilla’s Privacy Not Included guide, 2FA is a critical feature for secure apps.

Step 5: Using Hidden Chats and App Lock

For sensitive conversations, Viber offers advanced privacy features:

• Hidden Chats: Hide specific chats with a PIN:
  • Open a chat > Tap the chat name > Select “Hide This Chat” > Set a 4-digit PIN.
  • Hidden chats are stored in a separate section, accessible only with the PIN.
• App Lock: Secure the Viber app with a password or biometric authentication:
  • Go to Privacy > “App Lock” > Choose PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition.
  • This prevents unauthorized access if your device is unlocked.

These features are particularly useful for protecting confidential discussions, such as business deals or personal matters.

Step 6: Managing Personal Data Settings

Viber collects analytics and location data to personalize content, but you can limit this:

1. Go to Privacy > “Personal Data.”
2. Toggle off options like “Collect Analytics,” “Allow Content Personalization,” or “Allow Accurate Location-Based Services.”
3. Restart Viber to apply changes.

Disabling these settings reduces data sharing but may limit personalized features, like location-based stickers.

Practical Applications of Viber Privacy Settings

Customizing Viber’s privacy settings has real-world benefits across various scenarios:

• Personal Use: Hide your online status to avoid unwanted messages while staying connected with close contacts. Self-destructing messages in hidden chats are ideal for sharing temporary information, like one-time codes.
• Professional Use: Businesses can use group chat permissions to ensure only trusted team members join discussions. 2FA protects client data during remote collaboration.
• High-Risk Environments: Journalists and activists can leverage hidden chats and app locks to secure sensitive communications, especially in regions with surveillance risks.
• Travelers: Disable location-based services to prevent tracking while abroad, while still using Viber Out for secure international calls.

For example, a freelance designer can hide their profile photo from non-contacts to avoid unsolicited requests, while a journalist can use hidden chats to securely share sources with editors.

Advantages of Adjusting Viber Privacy Settings

Customizing Viber’s privacy settings offers several benefits:

• Enhanced Control: Decide who sees your information and interacts with you, tailoring the app to your comfort level.
• Robust Security: Features like 2FA and hidden chats provide military-grade protection, comparable to apps like Signal.
• User-Friendly Interface: Settings are intuitive, requiring no technical expertise, making privacy accessible to all.
• Compliance with Trends: Viber’s settings align with 2025 privacy trends, emphasizing user empowerment and data minimization.

Compared to competitors like WhatsApp, Viber’s default E2EE and hidden chat features offer a balance of security and usability.

Common Questions and Troubleshooting

Below are answers to common questions about Viber privacy settings, based on user feedback and official documentation:

Adjusting Viber’s privacy settings is a simple yet powerful way to protect your communications and personal data. From hiding your online status to enabling two-step verification and hidden chats, Viber offers versatile tools to suit personal, professional, and high-security needs. By following the steps outlined above, you can customize your Viber experience to align with your privacy preferences. In a world where data breaches are increasingly common, taking control of your app settings is a proactive step toward digital safety.