WhatsApp, owned by Meta, has announced the release of a phone number privacy feature for community members. The update, available on iOS and Android, allows users to hide their phone numbers from other community members. The feature is gradually being rolled out to more users.
In an effort to enhance user privacy, WhatsApp has been testing this new feature, which adds a layer of confidentiality when joining a community. With the new feature, phone numbers of community members are kept hidden, preventing users from seeing each other’s numbers.
The community participants list is also concealed, and users are unable to use message reactions to interact with the community announcement group, as this would reveal their numbers.
Even when someone reacts to a message, this privacy feature ensures that phone numbers remain hidden. Initially, only a limited group of users have access to this feature. When using the feature, users receive a notification that their phone numbers are visible only to the administrators and contacts who have saved their numbers.
It’s important to note that this feature is exclusively available to community members, as administrators’ numbers are always visible. It enables members to interact anonymously with each other. Additionally, if a user wants to contact a community member privately, they can send a request to the member, who then has the choice to share their phone number.
With this phone number privacy feature, WhatsApp aims to provide a safer and more secure environment for community interactions while ensuring user anonymity and control over their personal information.
