WhatsApp users have been urged to change their settings as the platform rolls out two new features to cut down on crime.
The rollout of Silence Unknown Callers is coming to the estimated two billion people on the platform as announced yesterday. The settings update will see scams, and calls from unknown people automatically screened out.
In a bid to prevent becoming a victim of cyber crime, WhatsApp users have been instructed on how to toggle on the increased protection on their mobile phone, reports The Mirror.
This change should hopefully mean cold callers and scammers who have found people's numbers will have less chance of making contact with potential victims.
It's a really important upgrade especially with cyber crooks often using this calling method to try and trick people into handing over credit card details.
It's worth noting that you will still be able to see everyone who has tried ringing during the day but numbers that you don't know will simply be added to the phone's call log rather than appearing on the screen.
WhatsApp explained the update on its blog: "Silence Unknown Callers is designed to give you more privacy and control of your incoming calls. It helps to automatically screen out spam, scams, and calls from unknown people for increased protection."
Speaking about the update, Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta said: “You can now automatically silence incoming calls from unknown contacts on WhatsApp for even more privacy and control.”
How to turn on Silence Unknown Callers
If you want to set it up it's easy to set up - simply head to the settings menu and then tap 'Privacy'. If the update has come to your phone, you'll then see the option to toggle on Silence Unknown Callers.
Along with that calling option, WhatsApp says it is also introducing something called Privacy Checkup. The mega app hopes this will help make sure everyone knows about the options of protection on WhatsApp.
It features step-by-step guides to show you important privacy settings to help you choose the right level of protection, all in one place.
To try it simply select 'Start checkup' in your privacy settings. This will then navigate you through multiple privacy layers that strengthen security of your messages, calls, and personal information.
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