Popular messaging platform WhatsApp has started testing a new security feature that allows users to automatically block messages from unknown accounts. The feature is already available to some WhatsApp beta testers and after manually enabling it, users will be able to eventually join two other 'advanced' safety features aimed at protecting user privacy.
This feature has been spotted by WABetaInfo in the WhatsApp beta or Android 2.24.20.16, and users can tap on the three-dot menu > Settings > Privacy > Advanced > Block unknown account messages to enable it. The company plans to roll out this feature to more users in the coming weeks.
The report further adds that this feature does not block all unknown messages when it is turned on. Instead, it specifically targets bot or spam accounts that are sending an unusually large number of messages in a short period. This will also potentially protect your smartphone’s performance by avoiding spam overload and allow you to continue receiving important messages from unknown contacts.
Previously, WhatsApp had introduced two other privacy features, including protecting a user's IP address in calls and disabling link previews to prevent third parties from inferring a user's IP address. A user needs to manually enable this option, as these are not enabled by default with a new installation.
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