WhatsApp adds enhanced security to personal chats#
April 29, 2025
In an effort to ensure maximum privacy for users, WhatsApp is developing a new feature that will limit the forwarding and saving of messages in chats. This became known thanks to the latest beta version for iOS 25.10.10.70, available through the TestFlight app.
1. What is the new feature for#
In a world where personal data is increasingly valuable and vulnerable, WhatsApp is committed to giving users more control over their conversations. The new enhanced privacy feature is designed to address several key issues at once:
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Prevent unauthorized distribution of content. Protect personal photos, videos, and documents from falling into the wrong hands without your consent.
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Protect confidential discussions. Ensure privacy in important and sensitive conversations.
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Prevent unwanted archiving of conversations. Ensure that your conversations will not be saved and used against you in the future.
2. How does extended privacy work#
The new option will enable the enhanced privacy level for both individual and group chats. When enabled, the following restrictions will apply:
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Block automatic saving of media files. Received images and videos will not be automatically saved to the recipient's device gallery. This behavior, previously only available in disappearing messages, will now be extended to regular chats.
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Disable export of chat history. Users will not be able to export their entire chat history outside the app. This will limit the possibility of unauthorized distribution of information and ensure that sensitive conversations remain in the protected environment of WhatsApp.
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Temporary disabling of Meta AI. For security purposes, all interactions with Meta AI* in the chat will be suspended while the enhanced privacy is in effect.
Why were these restrictions chosen?#
WhatsApp developers carefully considered which features needed to be restricted to ensure maximum privacy without sacrificing usability. For example, blocking forwarding entirely would have made communication much more difficult. The ability to forward individual messages was retained so that users could share important information without worrying about the safety of the entire correspondence. For the screenshot detection feature, WhatsApp considered that this detection system could be easily bypassed (for example, using the web version of the application), which would make it an ineffective security measure.
3. Accessibility#
Enhanced privacy is still in development and is being tested in the beta version of WhatsApp for iOS (10/25/10/70, available through the TestFlight app). There is no official release date yet. Stay tuned to WhatsApp news and updates to stay up to date with this important feature.
How to enable Enhanced privacy?#
After the official release, you can enable Enhanced privacy in the settings of each individual chat. Any participant in the conversation will be able to activate or deactivate this feature, and all other participants will be notified of the change in settings by a system message.
4. Conclusion#
WhatsApp continues to prove that user privacy is one of its top priorities. The new enhanced privacy feature is an important step towards providing more secure and controlled communication. We at GREEN-API are following the news and will inform you about all significant innovations in WhatsApp, follow our blog.