Your phone was stolen and you want to lock WhatsApp? There is an official procedure that also allows you to restore chats. Here's how to do it
Your phone was stolen. Now all your data is at the mercy of your robbers. You wish you had entered a more secure password for the key lock or enabled two-factor verification. But unfortunately, you didn't. Smile, fortunately there is one thing you can do: lock your WhatsApp account right away.
If your phone has been stolen you can disable the messaging app with a quick and effective procedure, protecting your chats from prying eyes. In some cases you can save conversations and multimedia content exchanged in threads.
But the most important thing is that by blocking the app, you will prevent third parties from using the account in your name, thus avoiding further problems and unpleasant consequences. Be careful, though: you must act immediately. Every minute that passes is an advantage for criminals.
How to block WhatsApp in case of a stolen phone
First, you need to block the SIM card of your phone. To do this, you just need to call your carrier and follow its instructions. Blocking the card will prevent WhatsApp from verifying your number and deactivate your account, so the phone will no longer receive messages or SMS.
Having done that, you have two options: the first is to use a new phone number and install WhatsApp from scratch. This will allow you to lock your account very quickly, as WhatsApp can only be installed on one phone number at a time. Unfortunately, however, you will lose your contact book and messages. The second option is to send an email to [email protected] writing both in the subject and in the body the phrase "Lost/stolen: deactivating my account". In the body of the message also include the phone number to be blocked, making sure to transcribe it in the full international format. For example, enter the symbol + followed by the country code, which in Italy is 39. So you would write +39 followed by your number.
Some clarifications for disabling WhatsApp
Even if the SIM is blocked, WhatsApp can continue to work if the phone connects to a Wi-Fi network, which is why it is important to act as soon as possible. Also, if you have backed up WhatsApp before the theft, you can restore the chats in the new account from either Android or iPhone or Windows Phone. If an account is locked or deactivated, contacts may still be viewable within the app and can continue to send messages. If they are not read, they will be on hold for 30 days before being automatically deleted from the app. However, if you reactivate the account before a month is up, you'll be able to restore unread messages as well, including those from groups.