WhatsApp introduces new feature to silence calls from unknown contacts

WhatsApp, the messaging application owned by Meta, has launched a new feature to protect users from unwanted calls. The feature is designed to silence calls from spam and nuisance callers, typically from numbers that are not part of a user’s contact list. The aim of this feature is to prevent unknown numbers from disturbing users.

How the feature works

WhatsApp users can enable the new feature by toggling a setting that will silence calls from unknown contacts. The feature has begun rolling out to all users, and those who enable it will not be disturbed by calls from unknown contacts. However, the messaging app will still display the call in the notification area and inside the app. This means users won’t miss a call from an unknown person, but the feature will just reduce unwanted disturbance from strangers by preventing the phone from ringing.

To enable the feature on Android, users can tap on the three-dot menu and tap on Settings Privacy Calls and toggle the Silence unknown callers option on the app. Similarly, iPhone owners can tap on the gear icon on WhatsApp to open the settings menu, then tap on Privacy Calls and toggle the Silence Unknown Callers option.

The background behind the feature

The new feature comes after several users in India and other regions reported receiving spam calls from unknown numbers. Users reportedly took to Twitter to complain that they were receiving calls from unknown numbers from countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Kenya, and Ethiopia. This prompted Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar to state that the IT Ministry would send a notice to the messaging platform.

At the time, WhatsApp responded that it was ramping up its spam detection systems that rely on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to bring down scam and spam calls by at 50 percent. The new feature should help reduce the inconvenience faced by users from unwanted calls on the messaging platform.

WhatsApp has introduced a new feature to protect users from unwanted calls on the messaging platform. The feature is designed to silence calls from spam and nuisance callers, typically from numbers that are not part of a user’s contact list. Users who enable the feature will not be disturbed by calls from unknown contacts, but the messaging app will still display the call in the notification area and inside the app. The new feature should help reduce the inconvenience faced by users from unwanted calls on the messaging platform.