This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
November 6, 2019 - WhatsApp has rolled out new features to help users avoid unwanted group chats. The new features include a new privacy setting and invite system, which allow users to decide who can add them to groups.
According to WhatsApp, users have been asking for more control over their group chat experience, especially as people turn to groups for important conversations.
To access these new features, users need to go to the WhatsApp settings section of the app, then Account > Privacy > Groups. There, they will find three options: Everyone, My Contacts, or My Contacts Except.
My Contacts means only users you have in your contacts book can add you to a group. My Contacts Except lets you pinpoint particular users who you know to be guilty of adding you to these groups.
“In those cases, an admin who can’t add you to a group will be prompted to send a private invite through an individual chat, giving you the choice of joining the group… You’ll have three days to accept the invite before it expires,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said.
The update is available from today on both iOS and Android.
