WhatsApp is stepping up privacy protections for your profile pic. A new feature rolling out in the Android beta lets you block folks from sneakily screenshotting your precious profile photo. No more profile pic lurkers!
Currently, WhatsApp lets you stop others from capturing receipts or one-view media. But your profile pic has always been vulnerable to stealthy screenshotters. And that can enable some serious harassment or catfishing if bad actors save and misuse your photo.
But in beta version 2.24.4.25, WhatsApp is testing restrictions to foil profile pic screenshots. Now if someone tries snapping a pic of your profile, it’ll just capture a black screen with a message saying “Can’t take a screenshot due to app restrictions.” Busted!
There won’t be any settings to toggle this on or off either. WhatsApp is enabling profile pic protections for everyone by default. Just like how Facebook has its own screenshot blocking for profiles. Gotta preserve that Zuckian privacy!
This is a major win to thwart shady activity from screenshot stalkers. Too often folks don’t realize their profile pic has been saved and misused until way later when the damage is done. The blackout screen paired with in-app alerts will deter most lurkers.
And WhatsApp isn’t stopping there – they also just launched new text formatting tools for bulleted lists, numbered lists, in-line quotes, and block quotes. Between beefed up security and richer messaging features, WhatsApp is flexing its maturity as a private communication platform.
No social media app is perfect, but at least WhatsApp acknowledges common exploits like photo creeping and gaps in formatting. Rolling out proactive protections plus handy message formatting unprompted puts people over profits. So kudos to WhatsApp on these wise updates even if years late!
