WhatsApp launches new feature to silence incoming calls from unknown callers

Following the spate of spam calls from foreign numbers that users had been receiving on WhatsApp, parent company Meta on Tuesday said it has introduced a new feature that allows users to automatically mute unknown calls on the instant messaging platform.

“You can now automatically silence incoming calls from unknown contacts on WhatsApp for even more privacy and control," Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post.

WhatsApp said the ‘Silence Unknown Callers’ feature will give the users more privacy and control of their incoming calls. Such calls will not ring on their phones, but will be visible in the call list, in case it turns out to be someone important.


This feature has been in beta testing for a while, and the stable version is now available for Android and iOS smartphone users. When enabled via the privacy settings menu, the app will automatically silence calls from unknown numbers.

Users have to make sure they have installed the latest version of WhatsApp on their phone or update it through the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

Besides this, the Meta-owned messaging app has also introduced ‘Privacy Checkup’ to ensure everyone knows about the options of protection on the platform. This feature will guide the users through crucial privacy settings to choose the right level of protection.

On tapping ‘Start checkup’ in privacy settings, the user can navigate through multiple privacy layers that strengthen security of messages, calls, and personal information.

Meta has been adding a slew of new features to WhatsApp recently. The company has introduced WhatsApp channels in select markets, and WhatsApp also gained the ability to edit sent messages for up to 15 minutes. It also unveiled Chat Lock to protect sensitive chats behind a password, Disappearing Messages that vanish, screenshot blocking for View Once, and the ability to keep online presence private.