Meta is committed to bringing more security to WhatsApp. To do this, the instant messenger will integrate a filter that will prevent you from receiving unwanted messages from strangers. An excellent initiative!
WhatsApp continues to add new security features to maintain the trust of its users. Fully encrypted, the instant messaging service already offers many options to ensure the confidentiality of exchanges, such as ephemeral messages, the ability to block screenshots for certain messages, sending ephemeral voice messages, Chat Lock mode – which allows you to hide certain conversations and lock access to them –, hidden online presence and a mute function to automatically filter unknown numbers and even a contextual card to provide essential information about the group creator (see our article).
This time, Meta is tackling the management of unwanted messages, which can contain dangerous scams. Indeed, the specialized site WABetaInfo discovered, in the beta version 2.24.17.24 of the application on Android, that Meta would allow users to block messages from unknown contacts. You will have to go to the settings to activate the option.
Spam on WhatsApp: better manage messages from strangers
This new feature, which is currently under development, allows you to kill two birds with one stone. Currently, WhatsApp uses automated tools to detect and filter malicious actors on the platform while preserving privacy, including algorithms that identify suspicious behavior and bulk messages. With this option enabled, WhatsApp will automatically block messages from unknown accounts, protecting users from unwanted or potentially dangerous communications. Simply go to Settings > Privacy > Advanced settings. Please note that the automatic blocking will only be effective for messages “exceeding a certain volume“, without further details.
Additionally, this feature is designed to improve device performance by reducing the influx of spam and unwanted messages that can overload the app. Such accounts can flood users with a high volume of messages in a short period of time, which can overwhelm the app and negatively impact device performance. By enabling the ability to block messages from unknown accounts, the feature will significantly reduce the amount of data that the instant messenger has to process.
Since this feature is not yet available to testers, it should not arrive immediately on the general public version of the platform. However, it will offer a little more management and security, by allowing you to do an initial sorting of spam!