The popular messaging app, WhatsApp, is rolling out a new update. A few reports have claimed that the platform has already submitted a new update through the Google Play Beta Program. The new version of the app is 2.21.23.14.
The new update is bringing further security measures to give maximum privacy to its users. Some even have called the new update ‘the best privacy feature’. Essentially, the new feature gives more control over the user who gets to decide who can see their information posted on WhatsApp.
The new update is called “My contacts except…”. Users of the app might already be familiar with what it entails since WhatsApp already lets its users hide their status from certain people whom the user adds to the “My contacts except for” list. Whatapp prevents those present on the list from being able to view the status of the user. WhatsApp is expanding this feature now to include the Last Seen, Profile Photo, and of course, the About section of a user. Interestingly, this feature for Last Seen, Profile Photo, and About was under development in the updates 2.21.20.10, 2.21.21.2, and 2.21.21.8, respectively. Finally, WhatsApp is rolling out this new feature for specific beta testers starting November 11, 2021.
If anyone is interested to see whether they have received the update, they can do so by going to their Privacy Settings to check if the option is available on their app. When users opt for “My contacts except…” they choose who cannot see their information on the app. However, it should be noted that if the feature is not enabled for people who are on a user’s “My contacts except…” section, they still cannot access the information of the user. If a user disables the last seen for specific contacts, they cannot check out their last seen either. However, this is not the case for Profile Photo and About.
As the update is in its Beta testing mode, not everyone has access to it yet, but it will soon be available to everyone once WhatsApp rolls out the feature.
