WhatsApp Now Lets You Block Chat Exports
WhatsApp is adding a new privacy feature that, among other restrictions, will allow you to prevent others from exporting chats, automatically downloading media, and using your messages for artificial intelligence features. This is all part of a new option called Advanced Chat Privacy that is currently rolling out to WhatsApp users around the world.
How to prevent people from exporting your chats to WhatsApp
To use these features, make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed on your device. Next, open a private chat or group on WhatsApp, tap the contact or group name, and scroll down until you see “Enhanced chat privacy.” This button is located next to the “Block Chat” option on this page. Please note that it may not appear on WhatsApp immediately as it is being rolled out in batches around the world. If you don’t see this feature, please wait as it will be coming to you soon.
Once you enable Enhanced Chat Privacy, others will not be able to export your chats from WhatsApp. You can also prevent other users from enabling automatic media downloads on their devices or from using your messages for AI features in WhatsApp. Notably, the company calls this the “first version” of Advanced Chat Privacy and says it will add more features to the option in the future.
You should be aware that turning this setting on does not make it impossible to export your chats or save media. If someone intends to export data from WhatsApp, they can easily take screenshots or manually upload media files. This privacy feature will make exporting data a little more difficult since users won’t be able to rely on WhatsApp’s built-in capabilities, but it won’t really stop someone 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 in WhatsApp for iPhone, and more.