WhatsApp Tests Feature To Hide Profile Pics From Selective Contacts

WhatsApp, the messaging platform owned by social media behemoth Facebook Inc. (FB) is introducing a new privacy setup that allows users to hide their profile pictures from selective contacts in their list.

In an article by WABetaInfo, the reviewers found out that the new feature is still in the beta stage but could roll out very soon.

WhatsApp is one of the most dominant social media platforms that is used by billions of people around the world. Amidst a flurry of allegations ranging from privacy issues to monopolization of business, WhatsApp’s parent company has been making news for all the wrong reasons lately so this new and much-awaited privacy feature may help the company paint itself in a better light.

According to the screenshot shared by the wire, Android beta version 2.21.21.2 allows the users more control over who can see their profile pictures. Till now, the options available to choose from were “Everyone” “My Contacts” and “Nobody”. But after the update, the list has added “My Contacts Except…”, which means that the users can choose who in their contact list cannot view their profile photo.

This option was already available in Status settings since 2017, which was extended to the Group Privacy Settings in 2019. Adding the same feature to Profile Photos will ensure both privacy and a certain extent of freedom to the users.

It is not clear when the stable version of the update will be announced but experts think that WhatsApp will conduct a large survey before making the announcement. This feature can be a part of a new set of privacy settings that the company announced some time before. The version is only available for androids as of now but the final roll-out is expected to have the feature for iOS as well.

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