WhatsApp is preparing to roll out a new “advanced privacy” feature, giving users heightened security controls for both individual and group chats as part of its ongoing commitment to user privacy.
Currently in development by Meta, this advanced privacy option is being tested in the latest beta version of WhatsApp for iOS, accessible through TestFlight. According to information from WABetaInfo, the feature remains hidden for now but is designed to introduce an extra layer of privacy and security, particularly benefiting users who need enhanced protection for sensitive conversations.
The Advanced Chat Privacy feature will restrict the export of chat contents. When enabled, users will be unable to directly share or transfer messages from protected chats outside of WhatsApp, making it significantly harder for others to distribute the conversation’s content. Additionally, media received in these chats will not be automatically saved to the device’s photo gallery, ensuring a greater level of discretion and privacy for sensitive images or videos.
Another key aspect is the complete disabling of Meta AI functionalities within chats protected by advanced privacy. This means that AI-generated suggestions, replies, or actions will not be available in these conversations, further safeguarding the privacy of the interactions. The feature will be applicable to both one-on-one and group chats, providing users with the flexibility to control sensitive communications in various contexts.
WhatsApp already offers disappearing messages as part of its existing privacy toolkit, which allows messages to be automatically deleted after being viewed. However, this new advanced privacy feature is intended to give users even more granular control, especially when handling highly sensitive or important topics.
Advanced privacy will be entirely optional and can be enabled separately for each chat. Users can choose to activate the feature only where they deem it necessary, customizing their privacy settings for individual conversations. Importantly, when advanced privacy is enabled in a chat, all participants in that conversation will receive a notification, ensuring transparency and awareness among everyone involved.
In related developments, WhatsApp recently released an update to its iOS app, introducing the ability for users with iOS 18.2 or later to set WhatsApp as the default calling and messaging app on their iPhones. This new functionality, along with the upcoming advanced privacy features, requires users to update to the latest version of WhatsApp, which is available for free from the App Store.
