NEW YORK (Kashmir English): The instant messaging application WhatsApp is developing a new privacy feature that will allow users to decide who can and cannot see their phone number.
According to the technology website WABetaInfo, this feature has been discovered in the Android beta version 2.26.45.1. Under this new feature, users will be presented with four options regarding the visibility of their phone number: “Everyone,” “My contacts,” “My contacts except…” (allowing for specific exclusions), and “Nobody.”
Through these settings, users will be able to determine who can view their phone number during calls and chats on WhatsApp.
The report indicates that this option will only be available to users who have created a username on WhatsApp. However, if someone already possesses a user’s phone number, they will still be able to see it during calls and chats.
Currently, when connecting via a username on WhatsApp, a user’s phone number is automatically hidden. In this new feature, the default setting for phone number visibility will be set to “Nobody,” meaning users will not need to make any additional changes to keep their number hidden.
Conversely, users who wish to share their phone number with others—for business or other purposes—will be able to adjust their privacy settings accordingly.
It should be noted that this WhatsApp feature is still in the development phase, and no official release date has been announced yet.
