On Wednesday, Meta released an updated version of WhatsApp, making the platform more private and secure than ever before for the end users. The latest version of WhatsApp on Android and iOS includes a new “advanced chat privacy” feature, which significantly enhances messaging privacy and security.
“Today we’re introducing our latest layer for privacy called “Advanced Chat Privacy.” This new setting available in both chats and groups helps prevent others from taking content outside of WhatsApp for when you may want extra privacy.”
add an extra layer of protection to your chats 🔒 advanced chat privacy stops media downloads, block chat exports, and keep your messages between you and who you’re talking to pic.twitter.com/8wmh2OCgQL
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) April 23, 2025
To access the new advanced chat privacy feature, update the WhatsApp app to the latest version via the Google Play Store or the App Store.
According to Meta, this new feature is designed to help users enhance privacy for sensitive conversations.
When enabled, WhatsApp will prevent users from exporting specific chats or group conversations. It will also disable automatic media downloads to the phone and restrict the use of messages for AI features. This comes in addition to WhatsApp’s default end-to-end encryption for messages and chat backups, offering an extra layer of privacy and security. However, this feature does not prevent users from taking screenshots of chats, though the company may introduce that capability in the future.
To use this feature, both users must be on the latest version of WhatsApp. Once enabled, the feature will also work on the web and desktop versions of WhatsApp. Note that the advanced chat privacy feature is disabled by default and must be manually enabled for each chat or group.
In addition, WhatsApp users can take advantage of other privacy features such as disappearing messages with customisable timers, and the ability to lock specific chats, which requires biometric authentication—such as a fingerprint or facial recognition—to access the latest messages.
As WhatsApp continues to grow as a popular messaging and calling platform worldwide, features like these will help boost user confidence in the app’s safety and privacy.
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