WhatsApp is currently working on making its app more private, announcing a series of updates and giving us a timeframe for when to expect them. We’ve already heard of a few of these, via a number of beta tests in recent months.
Being in beta, there was always the chance that some of the features WhatsApp has just confirmed would never turn up. Official acknowledgment makes a difference. Here are the three new features we can expect from the service in the next few weeks.
Why weren’t these added years ago?
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
Leaving groups won’t be such an awkward affair with the release of ‘Leaving Groups Silently’. Rather than an entire group being alerted to a member leaving, only admins will know. You can depart without it becoming a discussion of gossip. We should receive the update later this month.
Another change rolling out this month is the ability to hide your online status. Whether you want to hide from everyone or a few contacts that won’t take a hint, the choice is yours. We’re not sure why it’s taken this long, but still, better late than never, right?
Read More: WhatsApp is making it easier to stop attempted account hijackings
There is also one you haven’t heard about yet – WhatsApp is working on a way to stop people screenshotting messages that are set to ‘View-Once’. Again, why this wasn’t a thing since the disappearing message feature’s release is a mystery. Nevertheless, it’s coming – finally. There’s no timeframe to work with on this one. “We’re testing this feature now and are excited to roll it out to users soon,” said WhatsApp.
“To spread the word about these new layers of protection, we’re also kicking off a campaign to educate people about the new features and our continued commitment to protecting your private conversations on WhatsApp. We hope people enjoy getting to use these new features and benefit from several options that help you keep your messages secure.”