How to Silence Calls From Unknown Contacts on WhatsApp
In a recent update, Meta-owned WhatsApp introduced the “Silence Unknown Callers” privacy feature, aiming to enhance user control over incoming calls and bolster privacy.
Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, emphasized WhatsApp’s commitment to prioritizing user privacy and ongoing efforts to strengthen security.
The “Silence Unknown Callers” Feature: The new feature automatically mutes incoming calls from unknown contacts on WhatsApp, offering users a more peaceful and controlled calling experience.
This functionality effectively screens out spam, scams, and calls from unfamiliar numbers. Enabled, WhatsApp calls from unknown numbers won’t ring on the user’s device, but remain visible in the call list and notifications for potential callbacks.
Enabling the Feature: Enabling “Silence Unknown Callers” is straightforward:
- Open WhatsApp, go to “Settings,” and choose “Privacy.”
- In the “Privacy” section, select “Calls.”
- Toggle on the “Silence unknown callers” option.
Privacy Checkup: WhatsApp introduces “Privacy Checkup” alongside the new feature, guiding users through available privacy and security options. This step-by-step checkup empowers users to customize settings based on preferences, covering aspects like contact permissions, personal information control, chat privacy, and account protection through features such as two-step verification and biometric authentication.
Continued Privacy Efforts: WhatsApp has been actively implementing features to fortify privacy, including “Chat Lock” for password protection, “Disappearing Messages” for automatic message deletion, “Screenshot Blocking for View Once” to restrict media capture, and “Online Presence Privacy” for controlling online status visibility.
Conclusion: With the introduction of “Silence Unknown Callers” and ongoing privacy enhancements, WhatsApp reaffirms its commitment to user privacy and security. These updates reflect the company’s dedication to fostering a secure and protected environment for seamless communication.