WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular messaging apps. They frequently introduce new features with users’ personal security in mind.
Recently, they are introducing a new feature, which is already under observation. It has been reported that username users will now be able to decide who can see their phone number. This means users will have the opportunity to control whether their phone number is visible to others.
This information was reported by the technology-focused website WABetaInfo. The report states that WhatsApp is working on this new privacy setting for Android users. However, the feature is still under development and has not yet been rolled out for beta testing.
Phone Number to Remain Hidden When Using Username
Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is preparing to introduce a username feature. This will allow users to find and contact others using only a username, without needing their phone number. Currently, if someone sets a username, their number is automatically hidden from those who do not have it saved in their phone. Consequently, an unknown person contacting via username will not easily see the phone number. However, WhatsApp is now adding even more control to this system.
Users Can Choose Who Sees Their Phone Number
Once the new feature is launched, a separate section for phone number visibility will be added to WhatsApp’s privacy settings. Users will have four options: Everyone, My Contacts, My Contacts Except, and Nobody. This means users can choose to allow everyone to see their number, or keep it visible only to contacts saved in their phone. There will also be an option to exclude specific individuals. Furthermore, users can choose to hide their number from everyone.
For username users, the default setting will be ‘Nobody’. This means that unless a user specifically changes it, their phone number will remain hidden. However, those who already have the person’s phone number saved will still be able to see it as before.
Warning Message for Settings Changes
When changing the new settings, WhatsApp will show users a warning message. This is because modifying the visibility options might reset previously created exceptions lists. Consequently, individuals who were previously not allowed to see the number might now be able to view it according to the new settings. Therefore, users must confirm the changes before they are implemented.