For the billions of people that use WhatsApp, there is a common question that gets asked: “Can you look at a WhatsApp message without the sender knowing?”. With the app’s end-to-end encryption, this can be a difficult question to answer.
WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption to its users in order to protect their messages from being read by anyone other than the intended recipient. This means that no one, not even WhatsApp or its parent company Facebook, can access or read your messages. This encryption also means that if you’re trying to view a message without the sender knowing, it’s impossible unless they have sent it to another person who can then forward it to you.
However, there is one way you can view a WhatsApp message without the sender knowing. If you are part of a group chat with the sender, and they send a message in that group chat which gets forwarded to you, then you can view the message without them knowing. This does not work if the sender sends a direct message as those messages are private and cannot be seen by anyone else.
You may also be able to view messages on shared devices. For example, if your partner has sent you a WhatsApp message on their phone but their account is logged into on your device as well, then you will be able to see it without them knowing.
In conclusion, it is possible to view a WhatsApp message without the sender knowing in some cases. However, this is limited and only works when certain conditions are met such as being part of a group chat with them or having access to shared devices. Ultimately, for privacy reasons it is best for users not to attempt this unless absolutely necessary.