In response to growing concerns over spam and scam calls, WhatsApp has launched a new feature named “Silence Unknown Callers”. The messaging service announced this feature, which enables users to automatically mute incoming calls from unknown numbers, today.
How to Enable Slience Unknown Callers Feature on WhatsApp?
Users can enable this setting by navigating to WhatsApp’s settings.
- selecting the “Privacy” option,
- then “Calls”, and
- finally turning on the “Silence Unknown Callers” toggle.
This feature is aimed at screening out spam, scams, and calls from unknown people, thereby providing an extra layer of protection to its users.
Once enabled, this feature silences all signs of incoming calls from unknown numbers, including both sound and visual alerts within the app. It’s important to note that silenced calls will still appear in the user’s recent calls list with a “silenced unknown caller” note next to them, providing an option to call back if desired.
The introduction of this feature follows recent reports of a significant increase in spam calls, particularly impacting Indian users. A month ago, WhatsApp introduced a new enforcement system that utilized machine learning to reduce the volume of spam calls by an estimated 50 percent. With the new silencing feature, users now have the additional option to silence any spam calls that are not caught by the service’s automatic filters.
In addition to the “Silence Unknown Callers” feature, WhatsApp has also introduced a new “Privacy Checkup” feature. This feature is designed to educate users about the privacy and security options that WhatsApp offers in a step-by-step manner. The checkup covers several categories, including allowing users to choose who can contact them, and adding extra security measures to their account like two-step verification or requiring biometric authentication to open the app.
