In a significant update aimed at enhancing user security, WhatsApp is launching a new feature called Advanced Chat Privacy. This innovative setting is designed to prevent users from taking conversations outside of the app, ensuring that your personal and group chats remain confidential and secure.
When the Advanced Chat Privacy setting is activated, it empowers users to block others from exporting their chat history. This means that conversations cannot be easily transferred to other platforms like email or notes apps, which has been a common practice among users. Additionally, the feature automatically restricts the downloading of photos and videos shared within the app, adding another layer of security to your media files.
This new setting also impacts the way users interact with Meta AI. Currently, users can utilize Meta AI to ask questions within chats and even generate images based on the conversation. However, with the introduction of the Advanced Chat Privacy feature, this capability will be limited to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.
By default, WhatsApp saves photos and videos from chats to your device's local storage. Users have the option to export their chats—with or without media—making it easy to share conversations via other messaging platforms or email. However, the new Advanced Chat Privacy setting will restrict these capabilities in both group and individual chats, adding a layer of privacy for users who may have concerns about their conversations being shared outside the app.
Despite the enhanced privacy options, it's important to note that the Advanced Chat Privacy feature does not prevent users from taking screenshots of messages or manually downloading media. WhatsApp spokesperson Zade Alsawah confirmed to The Verge that while this feature is a step towards greater security, it is still in its “first version.” The company plans to implement additional protections in future updates to further safeguard user privacy.
WhatsApp suggests that the Advanced Chat Privacy feature is particularly beneficial when communicating in groups where not everyone is closely known. This is especially relevant for conversations that may contain sensitive or personal information. As WhatsApp continues to roll out this feature, users are encouraged to take advantage of the added privacy settings to protect their conversations.
To activate the Advanced Chat Privacy setting, simply tap the name of your chat and select the option from the menu. This new functionality is currently being rolled out to the latest version of the app, following its initial discovery by WABetaInfo earlier this month.
Stay tuned for more updates as WhatsApp continues to enhance its privacy features to provide users with a safer messaging experience.
