Amid the rise in the cases of online scams and frauds, the Meta-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp has released a new feature that will help users tackle potential phishing attacks without opening a message. This is an addition to the slew of security and privacy features WhatsApp already has in place, including the ability to hide personal information such as the display picture, last seen status, and the ability to silence unknown callers.
How To Block Someone From The Lock Screen?
The latest WhatsApp security feature allows users to block unknown users, who could be sending malicious messages, right from the lock screen. All users need to do is tap twice on the message notification and select the block option, and that’s it. This way, users don’t have to open the message, which often informs the scamsters whether the targets have read their messages. Further, this reduces the chances of users being confused and clicking on a link.
However, the feature only works if you enable WhatsApp notifications on the lock screen. Since WhatsApp has over 2.5 billion users worldwide, the feature should help many users safeguard against phishing attacks simply by not opening such messages and blocking them directly from the lock screen. Users can always report and block the account if they open the message.
Here Are Some Other Features That WhatsApp Is Working
In a related development, WhatsApp is working on several new features that will roll out on its Android and iOS app. For instance, the platform is developing a chat lock feature that helps users automatically lock chats on their linked devices. Further, it is also working on a feature to respond to support queries with messages created by AI. Last but not least, the messaging app is also refining the validation process when new users choose a username.
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