WhatsApp announces much-needed feature 'Silence Unknown Callers'; check how it works

Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Meta, has announced a new privacy feature on WhatsApp called Silence Unknown Callers. WhatsApp claims that feature aims to provide users with greater control over their incoming calls, offering enhanced protection against spam, scams, and unknown callers. With Silence Unknown Callers, WhatsApp users can automatically screen out unwanted calls from unfamiliar contacts.

How it works

Calls from unknown numbers will not ring on the user's phone. However, they will still appear in the call list, allowing users to review them later in case of any important messages.

In his announcement, Zuckerberg said, "You can now automatically silence incoming calls from unknown contacts on WhatsApp for even more privacy and control." The new feature addresses the rising concerns surrounding unwanted and intrusive calls.

The new feature comes at a time when users in India were plagued with multiple WhatsApp scams and spams. Once the new feature is rolled out to all users, the instances of them getting duped by fraudsters are expected to go down.

Privacy Checkup 

Furthermore, WhatsApp has also introduced Privacy Checkup, a feature that guides users through essential privacy settings. By selecting 'Start checkup' in the Privacy settings, users can access a step-by-step process that strengthens the security of their messages, calls, and personal information. The company claims that this approach helps individuals choose the appropriate level of protection that suits their needs.

Other privacy-focused features include Disappearing Messages, screenshot blocking for View Once messages, and the ability to control online presence.

Also read: New WhatsApp feature for iOS: iPhone users to get 'community entry point' feature; here's how it works

Also read: iPhone 14 WhatsApp Scam: Fraudster steals Rs 4.2 lakh from Mumbai man

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