Johannesburg – New WhatsApp functionality is making its way to the Meta-owned platform.
However, this time the instant messenger is borrowing privacy cues from one of the most popular caller ID apps.
Independent WhatsApp speculation blog WABetaInfo said that it had recently discovered that the app was developing a new feature that allowed users to silence calls from unknown numbers while still showing them in the calls list and notification centre for a future update of the app.
“This feature has several advantages, such as reducing interruptions and potentially avoiding spam calls,” WABetaInfo said.
Despite the functionality prominently featured by one of the most popular caller ID apps, Truecaller, the feature doesn’t offer the same privacy in calls through WhatsApp.
However, it has also been reported that muted call features will benefit other upcoming WhatsApp functionality.
It was recently revealed that WhatsApp was redesigning the Status tab to include newsletters for Android beta users and, eventually, iOS users.
The new look was suggested to be a culmination of newsletters, which users were subscribed to, directly into the status tab with functionality to search them within the tab as well.
WABetaInfo said the upcoming muted call functionality would also benefit users who create WhatsApp Communities by offering them more privacy.
“In our overview of the newsletter tool, a new feature under development, we explained one of the problems affecting WhatsApp Communities – The possibility of being reached by anyone who is part of the community since the creator’s phone number is always visible,” the blog reported.
“This leads to a serious problem because anyone could call the creator of a community, even without a valid reason, regardless of whether they have permission to do so,” WABetaInfo said.
“Fortunately, a new feature currently under development on WhatsApp beta for Android is coming to the rescue: the ability to choose whether to silence calls from unknown numbers.”
The muted call feature is expected to significantly contribute towards greater privacy for WhatsApp users by reducing spam calls, which have plagued the platform in recent years and have since seen scammers making unsolicited calls to other WhatsApp users.
WABetaInfo said that scammers used WhatsApp to steal personal information, trick people into making payments, or provide sensitive data.
Through a series of stories last year, IOL highlighted the dangers of being scammed through WhatsApp. Meanwhile, also last year, the South African Revenue Service warned of scams doing the rounds on WhatsApp.
IOL Tech