On WhatsApp, privacy gets a boost- leave groups silently, hide online status, says Mark Zuckerberg

WhatsApp will roll out a bunch of new privacy features that allow users to leave groups silently, hide online status and more.

WhatsApp to roll out new privacy features soon. (HT_PRINT)

Meta-owned instant messaging app WhatsApp users are all set to introduce a bunch of new safety features that includes choosing who can see your online active status to leaving group chats silently and more. The app will also restrict others from taking screenshots of auto-deleted 'view once' messages soon. The new WhatsApp features will "provide users more privacy, more protection, and more control," said Mark Zuckerberg, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Meta Platforms, in a Facebook post. All these features will start rolling out this month alongside a global advertising campaign starting in the UK and India. Zuckerberg has added that the app will keep building new ways to protect messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face conversations.

Once these features are rolled out, people on WhatsApp will be able to leave group chats without letting others know. At present, when a group member exits all the.members receive a notification that they have exited. However, now only group admins will receive a notification.

Further, the app will also allow users to hide their online active status from their selected contacts just like the WhatsApp status. Users will be able to select their contacts whom they don't want to show their online status.

Another one of the most important features that the messaging app will roll out this month is restricting users from taking screenshots of auto-deleted View once media. The app had previously warned users to "only send photos or videos with 'View Once' feature enabled to trusted individuals” since the receivers could take a screenshot or screen recording of the media before it disappeared. However, with the new update, no users will be able to take screen grab or screen record the view once media.