You’ll soon be able to exit a WhatsApp group for good without anyone being notified, thanks to some upcoming changes to the app.
Currently, WhatsApp notifies everyone in a group chat if a member leaves, which can be awkward in smaller groups where you have friends or family in.
It also lets any of your contacts see when you’re online, which is a bit annoying if you’re trying to keep a low profile.
Perhaps the biggest security risk of all is the fact that the app lets people screenshot ‘view-once’ messages, which are supposed to disappear.
However, all of that is about to change thanks to a major new update to the app which is set for release in the next few weeks.
In a Facebook post, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote: “New privacy features coming to WhatsApp: exit group chats without notifying everyone, control who can see when you’re online, and prevent screenshots on view once messages.
“We’ll keep building new ways to protect your messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face conversations.”
The new features are part of an expanded WhatsApp privacy campaign designed to restore user trust in how the app keeps their chats secure.
The features appeared in an earlier beta version of WhatsApp but will finally start reaching all users of the messaging app this month.
These are just one of many new features which began life in the WhatsApp beta programme, which lets users try out experimental new tools on the app.
One much-tipped feature will let users create their own Bitmoji-style avatars to use as stickers in the app, although it’s unclear if and when this will be released.