WhatsApp launches STEALTH MODE, which lets you choose who can see when you’re in the app – alongside the ability to leave group chats without notifying everyone and prevent screenshots of messages being displayed all at once
- WhatsApp today announced the launch of three new privacy features
- Stealth mode lets you control who can and can’t see when you’re online
- Users can also leave groups silently without notifying other members
- Finally, WhatsApp is testing screenshot blocking for “View Once” messages
Whether you’re trying to keep your cool with a date or delaying your response to your ex, WhatApp’s online indicator can’t be of any help.
Now the messaging app has launched a stealth mode that lets you choose who can and can’t see when you’re on WhatsApp.
The tool is one of three new privacy features announced by Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of WhatsApp’s parent company Meta.
“We will continue to develop new ways to protect your messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face conversations,” Zuckerberg said.
The tool is one of three new privacy features announced by Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of WhatsApp’s parent company Meta
How to access stealth mode
The three new privacy tools were introduced as “additional layers of protection in messaging,” according to WhatsApp.
“New privacy features for WhatsApp: leave group chats without notifying everyone, control who can see when you’re online, and prevent screenshots from appearing once messages are viewed,” Zuckerberg said.
Stealth mode is rolling out to all users this month and allows you to choose who can see when you’re online.
“Seeing when friends or family are online helps us feel connected, but we’ve all had times when we wanted to check our WhatsApp privately,” WhatsApp explained.
“For those times when you want to keep your online presence private, we’re introducing the ability to choose who can and can’t see when you’re online.”
WhatsApp is also adding the ability for users worldwide to leave groups silently this month without having to notify everyone.
Instead, only admins are now notified when you leave a group.
Finally, WhatsApp is testing adding screenshot blocking for “View Once” messages.
“View Once is already an incredibly popular way to share photos or media that doesn’t require a permanent digital record,” WhatsApp said. “Now we’re enabling screenshot blocking for View Once messages for an extra layer of protection.”
WhatsApp prides itself on its impressive suite of privacy tools, including end-to-end encryption, two-step verification, and disappearing messages.
WhatsApp prides itself on its impressive suite of privacy tools, including end-to-end encryption, two-step verification, and disappearing messages
Ami Vora, Head of Product at WhatsApp, stated: “At WhatsApp, we are focused on developing product features that allow people to have more control and privacy over their messages.
“Over the years we’ve added interlocking layers of protection to protect their conversations, and the new features are one way we continue to deliver on our commitment to keep messages private.
“No other global messaging service of this scale offers this level of security for its users’ messages, media, voice messages, video calls and chat backups.
“We believe WhatsApp is the safest place to have a private conversation.
“And to help spread the word about these new features, we’re also launching a global campaign, starting with the UK and India, to educate people about how we’re working to protect their private conversations on WhatsApp.”
THE BEST WHATSAPP ALTERNATIVES
If you’re considering deleting WhatsApp, you’ll be pleased to know that there are several alternative apps to choose from:
1. Telegram
With more than 400 million users, Telegram is one of the most popular WhatsApp alternatives.
Although it looks very similar to WhatsApp, it differs in that it offers the ability to set messages to self-destruct after a certain amount of time without leaving any trace.
Telegram also offers end-to-end encryption.
However, as a WhatsApp spokesperson pointed out, Telegram “does not offer end-to-end encryption by default, so it’s not necessarily more secure than WhatsApp.”
2nd signal
Signal is one of the safest messaging apps thanks to the fact that it’s open source.
This means that the code for the app is publicly viewable, making it nearly impossible for app creators to plant backdoors that could allow governments or hackers to spy on your messages.
3.iMessage
If you’re using an iPhone, you can easily switch to iMessage, Apple’s own messaging app.
The app has a number of impressive features, including no character limit, the ability to send pictures and videos, and of course Apple’s animated emoji feature, Animoji.
Unfortunately, iMessage is only available for iPhone users, so you’ll have trouble interacting with someone using an Android device.
4. Google News
Google’s answer to iMessage is Google Messages, an Android-only messaging service.
The app replaces your default SMS app and integrates with all of Google’s apps and services, making it easy to share pictures or use the Google Assistant.
5. Facebook Messenger
If you’ve put WhatsApp off because of data sharing with Facebook, Facebook Messenger might not be the best option for you.
However, the app offers a number of helpful features, including games, secret talks, and video calls.