WhatsApp is adding a new privacy feature that will allow you to block others from exporting chats, automatically downloading media, and using your messages for AI features, among other limitations. All of this is a part of a new option called Advanced Chat Privacy, which is currently rolling out to WhatsApp users worldwide.
How to block people from exporting your WhatsApp chats
To use these features, make sure you are running the latest version of WhatsApp on your device. Then, open a private chat or a group in WhatsApp, tap the name of the contact or group, and scroll down until you see Advanced Chat Privacy. This button is located near the Lock Chat option on this page. Note that it may not appear on WhatsApp immediately since it’s being rolled out in batches worldwide. If you don’t see this feature, sit tight, as it should roll out to you soon.
Once you enable Advanced Chat Privacy, others won’t be able to export your chats from WhatsApp. You can also block others from enabling automatic media downloads on their device or using your messages for AI features in WhatsApp. Notably, the company is calling this the “first version” of Advanced Chat Privacy, and says it will add more features to this setting in the future.
You should know that enabling this setting doesn’t make it impossible to export your chats or save media. If someone is determined to export data from WhatsApp, they can easily take screenshots or manually download media. This privacy feature will make it a little harder to export data, since users won’t be able to rely on WhatsApp’s built-in options, but it won’t really be able to stop someone who is determined to bypass these restrictions.
The latest update follows a slew of new WhatsApp features , including the ability to see who’s online in a group chat, more control over group notifications, a built-in document scanner on WhatsApp for iPhone, and many more.
