On May 9, 2025, WhatsApp is enhancing its privacy tools to prevent strangers from adding users to groups, a move that many users have long awaited. The popular messaging application, known for its ability to facilitate instant communication through text messages, images, videos, and links, is making strides to give users more control over their interactions.
One of the most common frustrations among WhatsApp users has been the ability of unknown individuals to add them to group chats without prior consent. This often leads to unwanted notifications and potential privacy risks. To address this issue, WhatsApp has introduced new privacy settings that allow users to customize who can add them to groups.
To take advantage of this new feature, users need to open the WhatsApp application on their smartphones. For Android users, the process begins by tapping the three dots located at the top right corner of the screen. iPhone users can navigate directly to 'Settings'. From there, they should select 'Privacy', followed by 'Groups'. This will present three options:
- Everyone: Any person can add you to a group.
- Contacts: Only the phone numbers saved in your contacts can add you.
- Contacts Except: You can exclude specific contacts from being able to add you.
By selecting either 'Contacts' or 'Contacts Except...' and then confirming with 'Done', users can effectively prevent strangers from adding them to groups. If someone who is not in their contact list attempts to add them, they will be prompted to send an invitation instead. This invitation can then be accepted or rejected at the user's discretion, significantly enhancing their control over their WhatsApp experience.
WhatsApp is also testing another exciting feature that will allow users to interact with messages using stickers instead of the traditional emojis. This new capability is still under development but is expected to be rolled out in the near future, potentially adding a fun and creative dimension to conversations.
In addition to group settings, WhatsApp offers a variety of features designed to enhance user experience. For instance, the app allows users to share links, which are often displayed as previews containing images, titles, and descriptions. While this feature can be useful for providing context about the link before it is clicked, some users prefer to disable link previews for various reasons.
Reasons for disabling link previews include:
- Protecting Privacy: Link previews might load content from the internet, which could expose personal information or allow outside entities to track user activity.
- Saving Data: Not loading previews can help conserve internet data, especially for those on limited data plans.
- Organizing Chats: Some users prefer a cleaner chat interface without visual clutter from link previews.
- Avoiding Errors or Slow Loading: Occasionally, previews can cause delays in message delivery or lead to incorrect displays.
To disable link previews in WhatsApp, users can follow these steps:
- Open the app and navigate to 'Settings'.
- Click on 'Privacy'.
- Then, select 'Advanced'.
- Finally, activate the option to disable link previews.
Additionally, users looking for alternative methods to disable link previews can consider the following tips:
- Insert a space within the link, though this may prevent the link from being clickable.
- Enclose the link in quotation marks or symbols to make WhatsApp recognize it as plain text.
- Remove the protocol ("https://" or "http://") from the beginning of the link, which will convert it into a non-previewable text format.
For example, instead of sending "https://www.example.com", users could simply send "www.example.com" or "example.com".
For those who want to maintain control without completely disabling previews, they should remember that links leading to well-structured pages with good descriptions and images are more likely to generate clear and relevant previews. In circumstances where sensitive information needs to be shared without a link, users might consider sending PDF files or alternative documents instead.
Finally, regularly updating the WhatsApp application is crucial, as the platform may introduce new features and options that enhance user control over settings in the future. As WhatsApp continues to evolve, staying informed about its features will empower users to optimize their messaging experience.
