WhatsApp began hiding users’ online status from strangers by default in December. While this was a positive step, it still allows your entire contact list to see whether you’re online. WhatsApp’s upcoming update, however, is supposed to fix this by allowing you to choose which contacts can see your status. Toggle on the setting for that user if you don’t want someone to know you’re ignoring their message, and they’ll (hopefully) never know the difference.
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WhatsApp is also introducing a new feature that will allow you to leave groups quietly. Currently, the app (obnoxiously) notifies every user in the group of your departure, which may prompt some group members to message you privately to inquire why you left. The new feature is the digital equivalent of the Irish Goodbye, which is the act of leaving a party without telling anyone. It should help eliminate the awkwardness that comes with leaving a chat.
Your privacy deserves more protection.
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
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) August 9, 2022
WhatsApp says it will begin rolling out these two features this month and is also working on a method to prevent users from screenshotting “view once” messages. View once messages, unlike disappearing messages, do not vanish after a specific time limit — they vanish after the recipient has seen it once, similar to a photo or video sent through Snapchat. Adding a way to prevent users from saving or sharing sensitive information with others could help. This feature is still in testing, but WhatsApp says it will be available to users “soon.”
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The final privacy feature, which will be available to users this month, will allow them to control who can see them when they’re online. “To help you keep your online presence private, we’re introducing the ability to choose who can and cannot see you when you’re online.”
Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, announced the new features on Facebook and promised WhatsApp users privacy and protection. “New WhatsApp privacy features are on the way, including the ability to exit group chats without notifying everyone, control who can see when you’re online, and prevent screenshots on view once messages.” “We will continue to develop new ways to protect your messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face conversations,” he said.