WhatsApp Users Can Now Add an Extra Layer of Protection to Their Chats

WhatsApp is launching today Advanced Chat Privacy, a new security feature that adds an extra layer of protection to one-on-one or group conversations. WhatsApp already offers end-to-end encryption for messages and calls, but Advanced Chat Privacy will prevent users from sharing the content of WhatsApp conversations with others.

“When the setting is on, you can block others from exporting chats, auto-downloading media to their phone, and using messages for AI features. That way everyone in the chat has greater confidence that no one can take what is being said outside the chat”, the company explained today.

The WhatsApp team believes that Advanced Chat Privacy is best used for groups where users may be tempted to share personal pieces of information with other people they may not know personally. The feature can be enabled by tapping the chat name, then tapping on Advanced Chat Privacy.

“This is the first version of this feature and we’re planning to add more to it so that it will eventually include even more protections,” the WhatsApp team said today. Indeed, this enhanced protection for conversations doesn’t prevent users from taking screenshots of messages or images shared in the chat. For more privacy, WhatsApp also lets users send messages that disappear after 24 hours, which is something an app like Snapchat is known for.