While spam calls are something to be expected with the use of phones, it is probably less so when it comes to messaging apps like WhatsApp. But it looks like it is a problem enough that parent company Meta has announced that it now has the ability to block calls from unknown numbers. This was announced by Meta head Mark Zuckerberg on his Facebook page, as well as the messaging app’s own blog.
Officially, the feature is called Silence Unknown Callers, which is about as straightforward a name for the feature as it gets. As you would expect, the feature is toggled from the privacy menu. When turned on, these calls will not ring on your phone, but they will still be noted in the call list. On one hand, this will help prevent people from listening to what a scammer has to say in the first place, preventing a potential scam from even starting. But on the other, if you did indeed get a call from someone you know but whose number you did not save, you can still access the number from the log.
Also announced to WhatsApp is the introduction to Privacy Checkup. This is the messaging app’s way of spreading awareness about the options that users have at their disposal. This is described as a step-by-step guide that will help people decide the best level of protection that they want for their user experience. This is also started from the privacy menu.
At the time of writing, the two features have already gone live on both Android and iOS. Though signs that WhatsApp was working on silencing calls from unknown numbers were around since back in March of this year.
(Source: Mark Zuckerberg / Facebook, WhatsApp)
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