WhatsApp teases new features that block screenshots and allows you to discreetly leave a group chat
A drunk text to your ex, password sharing, or contacts micromanaging your online presence will be a concern of the past with WhatsApp.
On Aug. 9, the messaging and video calling app announced on social media that it is launching three new security and privacy features this August.
With the upcoming features, users of WhatsApp will be able to choose which contacts—select few or all—will be able to see if they are online, thanks to a new security layer, which gives them control over their online presence.
On top of the existing View Once feature, the WhatsApp blog post revealed that Screenshot Blocking is a new feature they are excited to roll out. It works by preventing the recipient of a video or photo message from taking screenshots of the content after receiving them.
The final addition will allow you to discreetly exit group chats without the group being notified aside from the admin. As WhatsApp wrote in its blog post, “We love our group chats, but some are not forever.”
Your privacy deserves more protection.
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) August 9, 2022
That's why we're excited to announce three 🆕 layers of security to wrap your messages in.
Learn what they do 👇 pic.twitter.com/AmV0YoZcC8
"We'll keep creating new ways to protect your messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face discussions," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Ami Vora, the app's head of product, stated in a CNBC report that its top aim is emancipating its users by granting them "greater control and privacy over their messages."
In January 2021, WhatsApp faced a legal battle in India after releasing an alert that prompted users to accept the new terms of conditions that would give Facebook permission to access their personal information.
Days later, the California-based company released a blog post, saying that it does not share its users' calls, personal messages, location, and contacts with Meta.