WhatsApp announces new feature to safeguard users from joining unknown groups

While the feature may already be available to some WhatsApp users, it will be rolled out to everyone on the platform in the coming weeks.

Bad actors are known to add users to unknown WhatsApp groups in order to push crypto or job scams, hoping that someone falls for them. Users can also be flooded with spam after being added to such groups.

Hence, in 2019, WhatsApp decided to give its users more control over who can add them to a group. Now, users can head to Settings & go to Account > Privacy > Groups, where they can choose between three options: “Everyone,” “My Contacts,” or “My Contacts Except.”

Outside of a group, what happens when a stranger texts you on WhatsApp? In that case too, the instant messaging platform said that it will provide the user with more context about the account holder that has texted them.