How to Silence Calls from Unknown Contacts on WhatsApp

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WhatsApp, owned by Meta, recently unveiled a new privacy feature called “Silence Unknown Callers.” This feature aims to give users more control over their incoming calls, providing increased privacy and protection. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, highlighted WhatsApp’s commitment to prioritizing user privacy and the continuous efforts to enhance security.

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In a blog post, WhatsApp emphasized its dedication to safeguarding the privacy of user messages. While end-to-end encryption already ensures secure calls and messages, the introduction of additional privacy layers further strengthens user protection.

Read Also: How to Use WhatsApp QR Codes to Add Contacts

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The “Silence Unknown Callers” Feature

The newly introduced “Silence Unknown Callers” feature automatically mutes incoming calls from unknown contacts on WhatsApp. This empowers users to have a more peaceful and controlled calling experience while effectively screening out spam, scams, and calls from unfamiliar individuals. When enabled, WhatsApp calls from unknown numbers will not ring on the user’s device, although they will still be visible in the call list and notifications if the user wants to call back.

Enabling the Feature

Enabling the “Silence Unknown Caller” feature on WhatsApp is a simple process. Users can follow these steps:

1. Open WhatsApp on your device and tap on “Settings,” and then click on “Privacy.”

WhatsApp Privacy Settings
WhatsApp Privacy Settings

2. In the “Privacy” section, select “Calls.”

The new Calls feature
The new Calls feature

3. Toggle on the “Silence unknown callers” option.

Silence unknown callers setting
Silence unknown callers setting

Read Also: Why and How to Connect to a Proxy on WhatsApp

Privacy Checkup

In addition to the new feature, WhatsApp introduced “Privacy Checkup” to guide users through the available privacy and security options. This step-by-step checkup allows users to customize their privacy settings based on their preferences and needs. It covers aspects such as choosing who can contact you, controlling personal information, adding privacy to chats, and enhancing account protection with options like two-step verification and biometric authentication.

Continued Efforts for Privacy

WhatsApp has been actively rolling out new features to enhance privacy and ensure a secure messaging experience. These include the “Chat Lock” feature for password protection of sensitive conversations, “Disappearing Messages” that automatically delete messages after a specified period, “Screenshot Blocking for View Once” to restrict media capture, and “Online Presence Privacy” for controlling online status visibility.

Conclusion

With the introduction of the “Silence Unknown Callers” feature and ongoing efforts to improve privacy, WhatsApp continues to prioritize the privacy and security of its users. These updates reflect the company’s commitment to providing a safe and protected environment for seamless communication. By empowering users with more control over their incoming calls and offering a comprehensive privacy checkup, WhatsApp enhances the user experience and reinforces its dedication to privacy protection.