WhatsApp is testing out a feature that will safeguard users against unsolicited phone calls on the messaging app. Users of the Meta-owned app will be able to simply activate a setting that will silence spam and nuisance callers. These calls are usually from numbers that are not in a user’s contact list, and the new function is intended to keep calls from unknown numbers from bothering the user. WhatsApp users who do not enable this setting will hear their phone ring whenever another WhatsApp user, even if they are not in their contact list, contacts them over the program.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, revealed on Tuesday that WhatsApp users can now stop incoming calls from unknown contacts. This means that the feature, which was previously seen in development, has begun to be rolled out to all users. The option was accessible in the most recent stable versions of WhatsApp for Android and iOS.
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Users that use the option will not be disturbed by calls from unknown contacts, but the call will still be displayed in the notification area and within the app. This means that customers will not miss a call from an unknown individual; the feature will just limit unwanted noise from strangers by preventing the phone from ringing.
On Android, users may enable the feature by going to the three-dot menu, then Settings > Privacy > Calls, and then toggle the Silence unknown callers option. Similarly, iPhone users can visit the WhatsApp settings menu by tapping on the gear icon, then go to Privacy > Calls and toggle the Silence Unknown Callers option.
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The addition comes just a few months after some users in India and other parts of the world reported receiving spam calls from unknown numbers. Users apparently complained on Twitter about receiving calls from unknown numbers in Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Kenya, and Ethiopia, causing Minister of say for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar to say that the IT Ministry would write a letter to the messaging platform.
WhatsApp commented at the time that it was beefing up its spam detection algorithms, which depend on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to reduce fraud and spam calls by up to 50%. The new function should help lessen the inconvenience caused by unwanted calls on the chat platform for users.