We’re winding down this series of posts on WeChat.  A large number of our readers seem to lose access to their accounts for one reason or another. For that reason, we’ve tried to show you how to protect your account, your contacts and your chat history.  Here are a few final tips and reminders for you:

1. Make sure you link your email address and/or your current mobile phone number to your WeChat account. You don’t have to link both items but you must link one in order to protect your account.

2. If you change phones, back up your contacts and chat history \to the WeChat servers before you get rid of your old phone. Once you have uploaded your data, unlink your old phone number. Before you unlink your number, link your email address, right? Then do the reverse on your new phone.

3. Remember that your options for account recovery are limited unless you link something up with your WeChat account. These options include QQ, your mobile phone number, your email address and Facebook. If your WeChat account is valuable to you, protect it.

4. Features like Shake are fun but don’t wear them out. If you get unusual results using Shake, give it a break. Find something else to do that doesn’t overload the WeChat servers. Shake is fun, not a way of life.

5. Probably the worst thing you can manage to do on WeChat is to get banned. Once you’re banned, it’s difficult if not impossible to get your account back. Sure, there’s a recovery page but it’s up to WeChat to decide if you should be reinstated.

6. Don’t add third party apps, ones that promise to help you find compatible users or assist you in any way. WeChat is fine as a standalone app. You know who makes it, you know what it can access and what it can’t. Don’t download apps that aren’t mainstream ones. You’re just asking for trouble if you install these things on your mobile device.

7. Above all, send yourself your WeChat password in an email every time you change it. This is basic common sense but you would not believe the number of people who contact us because they’ve forgotten their password.

Good luck! If you run into problems, let us know. We’ll do our best to sort things out for you but reread our tips to learn how to protect yourself.

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