Are you tired of random people adding you to irrelevant and inappropriate groups in WhatsApp? Well, now you can put restrictions on who can add you and who can’t in unknown group chats.
WhatsApp has been listening to user feedback for quite some time now and working hard to implement more and more privacy-focused features in the app. One of the most annoying things users have complained about is the fact that they can’t restrict people from adding them to group chats. Spam invites are a real issue, and it is terrible in case you WhatsApp for business purposes.
The developers have finally fixed the issue by implementing a new group privacy option. The feature is now live on both Android and iOS version of WhatsApp. However, it might not be the perfect solution, which we will discuss later. For now, you can follow this guide to learn how to enable the group privacy feature.
Prerequisites
- Android users need to update WhatsApp to the latest version from Play Store. At the time of this writing, the newest version of WhatsApp on Android is 2.19.360.
- iOS users will also have to update WhatsApp to version is 2.19.121 or higher from the App Store.
Change WhatsApp Groups Privacy on Android
- Launch the latest version of WhatsApp from the app drawer.
- Tap the three-dots icon on the top bar of the app.
- Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
- Tap Account in the options, then select Privacy on the next page.
- Choose Groups from the Privacy menu. You will see three options: Everyone, My contacts, and My contacts except…
It will be set on Everyone on default, which means that everyone will be able to add in group chats.
If you have no issues with the people in your contacts, then selecting My contacts will freely allow your contacts to add you to WhatsApp groups.
In case you want to exclude someone in your contacts from adding to you WhatsApp groups, then tap My contacts except… and tick the circle next to the contacts you want to put restrictions on. Tap the green icon below to save your changes.
Change WhatsApp Groups Privacy on iOS
- Open WhatsApp from the home screen.
- Tap Settings on the bottom bar.
- Choose Account on the Settings page.
- After that, tap Privacy and select Groups from the Privacy menu.
- You have the option to select between Everyone, My Contacts, and My Contacts Except…
Check the guide for Android above for more information on each option.
Conclusion
In this guide, we have given clear step-by-step instructions to save you from the trouble of getting added in random WhatsApp groups. Note that the people will still be able to invite you to group chats, but the invitation link will be sent to you as a direct message. You can either choose to accept or decline the invitation. These invitations links are temporary and expire in 72 hours. If you want to stop these invites permanently, then you have no choice but to block the contact number.
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Talha Ali is your tech generalist, covering a wide spectrum of topics within the ever-evolving world of technology. With a curiosity for the latest innovations, industry trends, and breakthroughs. Whether it’s hardware, software, emerging technologies, or the intersection of tech with daily life, Talha’s articles provide readers with a well-rounded perspective on the dynamic landscape of the tech industry.
