WhatsApp is scheduled to launch a new function called Silence Unknown Callers, which will allow users to filter out spam calls. The function, which can be turned on or off in the settings menu, automatically mutes phone calls from numbers not in the user’s contact list.
Despite the fact that the call will be quiet, the Caller ID will remain visible in both the calls list and the notifications center. This will enable users to determine who was attempting to contact them.
This new addition is intended to fix a problem with WhatsApp’s Communities feature. This feature allows any group member to simply access the phone numbers of other users and begin spamming them. Although banning and reporting calls from unknown numbers can aid in preventing this, Silence Unknown Callers tries to stop the initial wave of spam by excluding calls from these numbers.
The most recent WhatsApp beta for Android, which can be downloaded by enrolling in the Google Play Store beta program, currently supports Silence Unknown Callers for testing. It is not yet known when the functionality will be formally introduced and whether iOS devices will support it.
WhatsApp is exploring a number of other features for Android in addition to Silence Unknown Callers. These include a split view for tablets that enables the chat list to show when launching a chat, status tabs, or placing a call. Another updated element of the beta is the Status tab, which now allows Newsletters, another forthcoming platform feature.
The latest beta for iOS devices includes a revised chat attachment menu as well as a new sticker creation tool that converts images into stickers. These modifications, however, are not as significant as the expanded functionality offered for Android smartphones.
