In a recent announcement, Mark Zuckerberg, the Founder and CEO of Meta, revealed a new privacy feature on WhatsApp called “Silence Unknown Callers.” This feature aims to provide users with better control over incoming calls while offering improved security against spam, prank calls, and suspicious callers. By enabling the “Silence Unknown Callers” functionality, WhatsApp users can automatically block unwanted calls from unknown contacts.
When an unknown caller attempts to reach a user, their phone will no longer ring. However, the calls will still appear in the call list, allowing users to review them later in case any important communications were missed.
Zuckerberg emphasized the importance of privacy and control in his statement, stating that users can now “automatically silence incoming calls on WhatsApp from unknown contacts for even more privacy and control.” This new feature addresses the increasing concerns regarding intrusive and unwelcome calls.
The launch of this functionality coincides with a surge in WhatsApp spam and scams targeting Indian users. With the availability of this new tool to all customers, it is expected that fewer people will fall victim to fraudulent activities.
To activate the “Silence Unknown Callers” feature on WhatsApp for Android, users can follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp and click on the three dots in the upper right corner.
- Tap “Settings” and then navigate to the “Privacy” section.
- Scroll down and click on “Calls.”
- Toggle the “Silence unknown callers” option in the “Calls” section.
For iPhone users, the process to stop calls from unknown numbers on WhatsApp is as follows:
- Open WhatsApp and go to “Settings.”
- Under “Privacy,” select the “Calls” section.
- Enable “Silence unknown callers” under the “Calls” section.
In addition to the “Silence Unknown Callers” feature, WhatsApp has also introduced “Privacy Checkup,” which guides users through essential privacy settings. By selecting “Start checkup” in the Privacy settings, users can access a step-by-step process to enhance the security of their messages, calls, and personal information. This approach allows individuals to customize their level of security based on their specific needs.
WhatsApp continues to prioritize user privacy with various features, including Disappearing Messages, screenshot blocking for View Once messages, and control over online presence. These measures aim to provide a safer and more private communication experience for WhatsApp users worldwide.
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