WhatsApp's most recent update brings new privacy measures: Silence Unknown Callers and Privacy Checkup

WhatsApp has recently unveiled a series of privacy-focused updates to provide its users with a safer and more seamless communication experience. Among the notable additions is a new privacy feature that automatically silences incoming calls from unknown users. The primary objective behind this feature is to filter out potential scams or spam messages, ensuring that users can enjoy a disturbance-free environment on the platform.

With the introduction of this feature, silenced calls will still be visible in the Calls tab, allowing users to review them at their convenience. Users just need to update their app to the latest version on Android or iOS devices, and to activate it, one simply needs to navigate to the Settings menu, select Privacy, and then proceed to the Calls section, where they can enable the toggle button for "Silence Unknown Callers." In addition to this privacy feature, WhatsApp has also rolled out a user-friendly Privacy Checkup tool. Accessible through the app's Privacy page, this tool offers a comprehensive guide to important privacy settings. Users can initiate the Privacy Checkup by selecting the "Start Checkup" option, which will provide them with a step-by-step walkthrough to ensure their privacy preferences are properly configured.

In previous releases, the platform introduced several noteworthy features, including Chat Lock, which enables users to hide confidential chats in a secure folder. Additionally, users have gained the ability to edit sent messages, as well as enjoy screen sharing during video calls. And more recently, a new broadcast-based channels feature. Some of these additions are currently being fine-tuned in beta releases, aiming to further enrich the user experience and cater to the evolving communication needs of its global user base.

These recent updates aim to gradually improve security and provide users with more privacy options. However, for users who are particularly concerned about these issues, we recommend taking a look at other more specialized alternatives and considering options with a better reputation in this regard, such as Signal. This is especially important considering that WhatsApp continues to be a target for malware attacks, as evidenced by the recent report on WhatsApp backups that we highlighted.